November 27, 2015
Standing Hearing for Inquest Into Death of Durval David Tavares
A standing hearing will take place to determine who can participate in the upcoming inquest into the death of Durval David Tavares, 40, of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Tavares was an inmate at the Stony Mountain Institution. On March 20, 2005, staff found him unresponsive in a washroom located near the facility’s gymnasium and he was pronounced dead shortly after. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma and the manner of death was homicide. Four individuals were charged related to his death and three were convicted.
Under the Fatality Inquiries Act, an inquest has been called by the chief medical examiner. Inquests explore the circumstances and events leading to deaths for the purpose of finding out what, if anything, might be done to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Before the inquest begins, the judge will decide who can participate in the process and question witnesses. Individuals and groups may make an application to be granted standing and participate in the inquest. Those interested in applying for standing should contact Omar Siddiqui, inquest counsel, 204-945-2852 or omar.siddiqui@gov.mb.ca by Friday, Dec. 11.
The standing hearing will be held on Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. in Courtroom 407 at the Manitoba Law Courts Complex, 408 York Ave., Winnipeg.
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