Dr. W. Komer

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to determine if the accused, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and charged with aggravated assault, was fit to stand trial.

Relying on the expert evidence of the attending psychiatrist, the Board found that the accused's negative symptoms, including poverty of thought and lack of motivation, prevented him from making reality-based decisions.

The Board concluded the accused remains unfit to stand trial and ordered the continuation of his detention disposition at the hospital as the least onerous and least restrictive disposition to manage his risk to the public.

The accused, a 71-year-old woman with a severe traumatic brain injury, was charged with assault with a weapon against her husband.

She was previously found unfit to stand trial.

The Ontario Review Board held an initial hearing to determine her fitness and appropriate disposition.

Relying on psychiatric evidence, the Board found the accused remains unfit to stand trial due to cognitive impairments that prevent her from understanding the proceedings or instructing counsel.

The Board ordered a conditional discharge, requiring her to reside at her current supervised seniors residence, have no contact with her husband without consent, and attend the hospital for assessment if directed, balancing public safety with her reintegration and needs.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for two counts of second-degree murder.

The accused had recently assaulted his attending psychiatrist with a concealed weapon and remained in seclusion, refusing to engage with treatment staff while researching knives on the internet.

The Board accepted the joint submission of the parties and the evidence of the attending psychiatrist, finding that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered the continuation of the existing Detention Order at the high-secure provincial forensic program without change.

The Ontario Review Board held an initial hearing to determine whether the accused, who had been found unfit to stand trial on charges of uttering threats and attempting to disarm a police officer, remained unfit.

The Board concluded that the accused remained unfit to stand trial due to his intellectual developmental disorder and schizoaffective disorder.

The Board ordered a detention disposition at a high-secure hospital to manage his risk of harm and support his return to fitness, and directed the preparation of a Gladue Report.

The Board also determined it lacked jurisdiction to review a prior period of seclusion, as it occurred before the Board had made a disposition.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the hospital's decision to significantly restrict the accused's liberty by placing him in seclusion.

The accused, who has schizophrenia and a history of violence, was placed in seclusion after becoming hostile, unresponsive to staff direction, and refusing his antipsychotic medication.

The Board applied the framework from Regina v. M.L.C. and found that both the initial placement in seclusion and the ongoing restriction of liberty were warranted, necessary, and represented the least onerous and least restrictive intervention available to safely manage his risk of harm to others.

The hospital notified the Ontario Review Board that the accused's liberty had been restricted following his placement in seclusion.

The accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for two counts of second-degree murder, had been transferred to a high-secure forensic program after an unprovoked attack on his attending psychiatrist.

The Board held a hearing to review the restriction of liberty pursuant to section 672.81(2.1) of the Criminal Code.

Relying on expert psychiatric evidence, the Board concluded that the initial and ongoing restriction of liberty was warranted, necessary for public safety, and represented the least onerous and least restrictive intervention available in the circumstances.

The Ontario Review Board held an initial disposition hearing for the accused, who was found not criminally responsible for assault causing bodily harm and other offences.

The accused has a complex psychiatric profile, including schizoaffective disorder and a history of polysubstance abuse, and recently assaulted staff while in treatment.

The Board accepted the joint submission of the parties, finding that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered his continued detention at the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care with appropriate privileges and conditions to facilitate his rehabilitation and manage his risk.