In Black Action Defence Committee and Urban Alliance on Race Relations v. Huxter, Coroner, [1992] O.J. No. 2741, the Ontario Divisional Court overturned the decision of the coroner to deny standing to the Urban Alliance on Race Relations for Metropolitan Toronto. The court held that a coroner must have regard to the preventative role of an inquest (in this case, the Lester Donaldson inquest) and its role in allaying public concerns. The Alliance had a “unique expertise” in cross-cultural sensitivity as it relates to mental health issues and had the clear confidence of many visible minority groups including the black community. Julian Falconer represented BADC and UARR in this case, which sets out the legal test for public interest standing at a Coroner’s Inquest.
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