Ontario has announced an appeal court judge who will head a public inquiry into the policies, procedures and oversight of long-term care homes after a nurse admitted to killing eight seniors in her care.
Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Eileen Gillese has been asked to examine the circumstances and systemic issues surrounding the deaths and injuries at the hand of former nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer.
Wettlaufer pleaded guilty to eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault of patients over the course of nearly a decade.
The province says Gillese will have a broad mandate to review the Long-Term Care Homes Act and recommend changes aimed at improving the safety of residents.
The inquiry's final report is to be delivered to the province's attorney general by July 31, 2019 and made public.
Attorney General Yasir Naqvi says the inquiry will provide answers to the victims' families and ensure something like this never happens again.