Description

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Founded in 2003, the mandate of Ontario’s multi-disciplinary Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) is to assist the Office of the Chief Coroner in the investigation and review of deaths of persons that occur as a result of intimate partner homicide and to make recommendations to help prevent further deaths.  

This webinar is the second in a series co-hosted by the LNKH webinar series and the FVFL project. In it, DVDRC members will share lessons learned from homicides in the context of family law proceedings as well as unique issues for survivors in immigrant or refugee communities. The webinar will also explore the special needs of surviving children in the aftermath of domestic homicide deaths.   

Part 1 of this webinar, available as a recording, focused on recommendations based on reviews of cases of intimate partner homicides in aging populations, those involving firearms, and in intersection with concerns about mental health and substance use.  

Learning Objectives:

By participating in this webinar, participants will:

• Understand post-separation abuse and appreciate how family court contexts can increase risk for lethality  
  
• Identify unique challenges and risks for IPV homicide faced by immigrant and refugee communities   
• Gain knowledge about the steps that court systems, legal professionals, community-based professionals can take to prevent of intimate partner homicide   
• Consider the profound impact on, and needs of, child survivors of intimate partner homicide. Understand changes we need to make to better respond to these children.  

Speakers

Pamela Cross  is a feminist lawyer, a well-known and respected expert on violence against women and the law for her work as a researcher, writer, educator and trainer. She works with women’s equality and violence against women organizations across Ontario. After leading the creation and expansion of legal programming and services at Luke’s Place in her role as Legal Director, Pamela has moved her focus to advocacy, and is now the Luke’s Place Advocacy Director, developing and leading law and policy reform efforts and media work at the provincial and national levels.     

Peter Jaffe is a psychologist and professor emeritus at the UWO, Faculty of Education. Dr. Jaffe was a founding partner in the creation of the Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children in 1992 and was the Academic Director from 2005-2021. He has influenced generations of researchers, mental health professionals, lawyers, judges, school systems, families, and individual children.

Deepa Mattoo is a dedicated lawyer and intersectional feminist recognized for her commitment to advancing equity, anti-oppression, and anti-racism. Her extensive career spans various legal and leadership roles. Since 2019, Deepa has served as the Executive Director of the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, overseeing multiple departments and directing the Clinic’s intervention and advocacy efforts. She has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, Parliamentary committees, and UN civil society meetings, advocating on a broad spectrum of social justice and human rights issues. In 2023, Deepa was appointed to the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC).   

Deepa has trained thousands of service providers to support forced marriage survivors, racialized non-status women, and clients navigating immigration law. Since 2017, she has shared her expertise as an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School through numerous speaking engagements and interviews. Deepa's contributions have been recognized with several awards, including the Spirit of Schlifer Award in 2015 and the Law Society Medal and Women of Distinction Award in 2022 for her advocacy and access to justice efforts. In 2023, she received the Ontario Bar Association Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Women's Equality and the Desi Achiever’s Award for her exceptional contributions to human rights and access to justice. In 2024, Deepa was honoured with an Honorary Degree from Humber College in recognition of her contributions to social justice and equity.