Mr. Barry Percival

This interview with Barry Percival covers his journey from small-town North Bay to becoming a prominent Toronto litigation lawyer. Born in 1936, Percival initially studied mining engineering at Queen’s University before switching to law at Osgoode Hall. He articled at Robertson, Lane, Perrett, Frankish & Estey under future Supreme Court Justice Willard Estey, then joined Roy McMurtry’s litigation firm, where he developed expertise in personal injury and medical malpractice law.

Percival played significant roles in legal reform, particularly his work on the Ontario Law Reform Commission that produced the Occupiers’ Liability Act of 1972, which simplified premises liability law by establishing a common duty of care. He also served as Commissioner on the Law Reform Commission from 1980-1986, contributing to early class action legislation. His practice focused heavily on insurance defence work and medical malpractice cases, where he became known for selective case acceptance and successful outcomes.

The interview extensively covers Percival’s involvement in major Royal Commissions, including the Morand Commission investigating police brutality and most notably the Grange Commission (Susan Nelles Inquiry) into infant deaths at the Hospital for Sick Children. As counsel for Metropolitan Toronto Police in the Nelles matter, Percival provided crucial insights into this landmark inquiry, expressing his firm belief in the guilt of the accused nurses despite their acquittals.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.