The Chief Coroner, Mr.e Renaud Bernier wants to better “highlight” the work of his colleagues by publishing a “dashboard” including all decisions by the end of the year.
“It looks worse than it is.” In fact, in our records, when organizations do respond, about 80% of the time it is positive, so the recommendations are implemented. We mostly see non-followers in our context, but there are many,” says M.e Bernier in an interview Press.
Taking office at the beginning of last July, the coroner's office's big boss wants to begin a “vast modernization” of his agency's operations, which have sometimes been criticized for a lack of transparency and proactivity.
In the coming year, Me Bernier specifically wants to promote “a dashboard to monitor the results of coroners' reports and highlight what organizations are doing in response.”
It essentially allows people to see in a very specific way, on one website, what all stakeholders are responding to and doing.
Me Reno Bernier, Chief Coroner
According to him, this futuristic digital platform will also allow journalists to better inform the population and follow up on cases.
Evolving Law
In Quebec, civil society organizations are not required by law to apply the coroner's recommendations, but from November 2022 at least they are required to respond to them, explaining their decision. In other words, a simple acknowledgment of receipt is not enough as before.
Until recently, few groups responded to the office, Me Bernier.
When I arrived, we had a 42% response rate. There, in a few months, since I started the shift I want to do, we have already reached more than 80% responses. We are heading in the right direction.
Me Reno Bernier, Chief Coroner
In early January, Press The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS) as well as many public institutions have also reported failing to respond to the recommendations of the coroner's office within the stipulated time frame.
Read the article “Coroner's Recommendations: No Answers”.
Maximum response times set by the Chief Coroner are 45 days, but the MSSS has 90 days due to delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this exception to the rule did not prevent him from breaking the law 11 times in the past year.
Generally, only 5% of coroners' reports contain recommendations. When they don't understand, possibilities are regularly brought up, “Coroners have invested a lot in their cases to save lives,” says M.e Bernier.
