Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 12:30pm to Friday, October 21, 2016 - 1:55pm
Location: 
Solarium (room FA2) Falconer Hall - 84 Queen's Park

HEALTH LAW, ETHICS & POLICY WORKSHOP SERIES 

presents 

The Honourable Susan E. Lang
Retired Judge Ontario Court of Appeal

The Motherisk Testing Program: What Went Wrong and What to Do 

12:30 – 2:00
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Solarium (room FA2) – Falconer Hall
84 Queen’s Park 

Abstract:  Justice Susan E. Lang conducted in 2014-15 an Independent Review for the Province of Ontario in relation to the scientific reliability of hair testing at the Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory at the Hospital for Sick Children for use in child protection and criminal cases. The Review concluded that hair testing results for drugs and alcohol by a research/clinical lab at the renowned Hospital for Sick Children were unreliable. The failure was a systemic one but primarily related to the lab’s use of flawed scientific analysis and interpretation in providing opinions in child protection and criminal cases. The Reviewer, retired court of appeal judge Susan Lang, will explain what went wrong, how the evidence was used, and discuss how to foresee the next problem of flawed expert evidence.

The Honourable Susan E. Lang served as a judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario from 2004 until 2013.  She was a judge of the Superior Court from 1989 to 2004 and Toronto Regional Senior Judge from 1996 to 1999.  In addition, Justice Lang served as President of both the Canadian and Ontario Superior Court Judges’ Associations. From November 2014, Susan Lang conducted an Independent Review for the Province of Ontario in relation to the scientific reliability of hair testing at the Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory at the Hospital for Sick Children for use in child protection and criminal cases.  Her Report was submitted and released in December, 2015. Susan Lang continues to be active discussing her findings about the flawed science and the need for caution before acceptance of expert scientific/medical evidence.  She also continues as a Senior Fellow of Massey College at the University of Toronto. 

A light lunch will be served. 

Please pre-register by e-mail with n.gulezko@utoronto.ca and ‘Health Law Oct 20’ in subject heading.