A proposed settlement has been reached in two class action lawsuits against the province over conditions at London’s Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, and allegations that thousands of inmates were deprived of their Charter rights while at the troubled provincial jail.
Under the proposed settlement, still subject to approval by a judge, the province will pay nearly $32.8 million to class members detained at the jail during a period of nearly 12 years — between Jan. 1, 2020 and Nov. 10, 2021 — including those held pending trial or other court appearances.
The actions alleged that conditions at the jail, located along Exeter Road in south London, were overcrowded, unsanitary, dangerous and violent, according to a notice of proposed settlement being distributed to class members.
In addition, the class actions alleged that the province was “systemically negligent and deprived Class Members of their rights” guaranteed under section 7 and section 12 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in its operation and management of the jail, the notice says.
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April 25, 2023
