Davies, who had served on the Supreme Court of British Columbia (BCSC) from 1982 until his retirement in 1999,[1][2][3] was called from his retirement to act as Commissioner of the Davies Commission Inquiry in 2007.
The Inquiry focused on the 1998 death by hypothermia of Frank Paul, a homeless Mi'kmaq man originally from Elsipogtog First Nation, /ɛlzɪˈbʊktʊk/ New Brunswick.
[5] In his 446-page report, which was published on February 12, 2009,[4] Justice Davies was "harshly critical" of the actions of Vancouver Police Department (VPD) in relation to Paul's death.
[6] In his May 2011 report, "Alone and Cold: Criminal Justice Branch Response",[7] he questioned the decision "on the part of the crown prosecutors to not proceed with criminal charges against Sergeant Sanderson and Constable Instant in the death of Frank Paul.
"[8] Davies "ruled that the B.C.’s Criminal Justice Branch needed an overhaul to its conflict-of-interest policies that were brought up during the inquiry"[9] The Inquiry "resulted in the recommendation to establish the Independent Investigations Office which investigates officer-related incidents of death or serious harm in BC.