Public Inquiries in Canada

Public inquiries have significantly shaped public policy in Canada. In recent years, we have had inquiries into the safety of drinking water, the use of tasers by police, breast cancer screening, the pediatric forensic pathology system, public contracts in the construction industry, and wrongful convictions. Inquiries continue to proliferate – take a look at the media in Canada in any given week and you’ll find calls for the creation of public inquiries, discussions of the efficacy of ongoing inquiries, and comments about the recommendations from inquiries recently concluded.