Legal practitioners have a definite interest in brushing up on their knowledge in this field in order to provide insight and advice to their clientèle.

More and more often, lawyers are being called upon to represent clients in the context of procedures brought before various Boards of Inquiry.  What are the powers of these Boards, their Commissioners?  What are the rules of procedure applicable to hearings before these Boards? What are the various phases that may be involved? What can result from these hearings and what is the impact of that result?

This conference, which will be given by Me André Dugas, aims at describing and explaining the various aspects of hearings before a Board of inquiry and what lawyers need to expect when they appear on behalf of clients or accompany witnesses to these hearings.

• Definition and Purpose: What is a Board of Inquiry? How is it created? In what circumstances will it be used? Who can participate? How does one participate and why would one participate?
• Reviewing the 3 main phases of the inquiry: investigation, research, the hearings themselves
• Participants : The commissioner, the attorneys, the parties, the witnesses - the roles of each and their obligations
• The process: From creation of the board to the filing of a final ruling
• Judicial control and its limits
• Dealing with the media

In forum: André Dugas, from Miller, Thomson, Pouliot..

Advisory member of the Montreal office of Miller Thomson, Pouliot, Master Dugas is specialized in litigation and has a clientele comprised of small, medium and major businesses. He works primarily in the areas of litigation and government relations. He has notably distinguished himself by his participation in the recent Bastarache Commission.