News Release

For Immediate Release
March 2, 2007

Invests More Than $20 Million In New Funding To Help Victims

TORONTO — The McGuinty government is taking immediate action to address the Ombudsman's report on the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (CICB). Attorney General Michael Bryant announced today that he will be appointing the Chief Justice of Ontario, Roy McMurtry, to forge a new framework for victim support and compensation following broad-based consultation. The government is also providing additional funding to the CICB, and creating new government programs for victims of crime.

"I am so pleased the Chief Justice has agreed to take on this important role immediately upon his retirement from the bench this May," said Bryant. "I can't think of a more suitable leader to help us overhaul the compensation system to improve victim services."

The government is providing additional funding to the CICB to address case backlog by:

• Investing $12.75 million to enable the CICB to directly compensate victims of violent crime
• Providing an additional $2 million to allow the CICB to hire additional adjudicators and staff to speed up the compensation process.

The government is also investing more than $6 million to establish new programs, to be administered by the Ontario Victim Services Secretariat of the Ministry of the Attorney General, which will provide services to victims in the immediate aftermath of violent crime, when they need and want the help most, including:

• Emergency Expenses - to reimburse eligible victims for emergency expenses incurred in the immediate aftermath of a violent crime, such as child-care or new locks/window replacement
• Funeral Expenses - to reimburse eligible families of victims of homicide
• Counselling - provided to the victims of most serious crimes to help reduce the impact of trauma.

"These new initiatives address the Ombudsman's recommendations and will help ensure quick improvements to the way victims are compensated and supported," said Bryant. "For the longer term, Chief Justice McMurtry will hold meaningful and broad-based consultations on a proposed new framework with both victims organizations and communities."

Chief Justice McMurtry has dedicated his life and career to public service. He has had a significant impact on the legal and social framework of Ontario and has been a longstanding advocate for the province's most vulnerable. He has been the Chief Justice of Ontario since 1996. Prior to his appointment to the bench in 1991, he served as attorney general from 1975 to 1985. From 1985 to 1988, Chief Justice McMurtry served as Canada's high commissioner to Britain.

The CICB, established in 1971, is an independent agency that reports through the Attorney General.

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