An Ontario judge known for leading national inquiries on Canada's blood donation system and the privacy of medical records is being remembered for his unwavering commitment to justice.

Horace Krever, a former lawyer, law professor and judge, died in Toronto on April 30 at the age 94.

Krever was known for chairing the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Confidentiality of Health Information, which in the 1970s made medical records private.

He also led the Commission of Inquiry on the Blood System in Canada, which investigated how the blood donation system became contaminated with the human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus during the 1980s.

Kat Lanteigne, the cofounder of a group that advocates for the recommendations Krever made in the blood system inquiry, says she has been getting calls and emails from tainted blood survivors since his death encouraging her group to keep carrying on Krever's work.

Lawyer Harvey Strosberg, who worked with Kerver on the health information inquiry and later became his friend, says the former judge always stuck to his principles and was a kind man.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 8, 2023.

The Canadian Press