BackFurther to complaints it received concerning the time associated with coroners’ investigations, the Québec Ombudsman looked into the issue fraught with adverse human and financial consequences for the loved ones of the deceased.
The Québec Ombudsman investigation showed that the average wait time for investigations was 12.2 months in 2012, and 15.1 months for investigations involving an autopsy and an expertise. This is much longer than the 9 months declared on the Bureau du coroner website, and even that is long to wait.
Following this investigation, Ombudsperson Raymonde Saint-Germain made seven recommendations to the Bureau du coroner aimed at speeding up the process of investigation and improving the information given to representatives of the deceased.
According to Ombudsperson, "these are realistic solutions that would not require amendment of any act or regulation. They are imperative given the serious consequences of these wait times for bereaved families.”
Summary of the Québec Ombudsman's investigation report on wait times for coroners’ investigations
Source: Protecteur du Citoyen du Québec, Canada
