Former Ontario judge to lead inspection on police anti-corruption practices in wake of Project South

Inspector General of Policing Ryan Teschner (left) and the Honourable William Hourigan are pictured here. (CNW Group/Inspectorate of Policing)

A former Ontario judge will lead the independent provincewide inspection into police corruption in the province in the wake of a bombshell investigation that resulted in charges against seven Toronto officers.

William Hourigan’s appointment was announced on Thursday by Ryan Teschner, the province’s inspector of general policing.

Teschner first announced the inspection into police corruption in February, days after York Regional Police released the results of Project South, which alleged, among many other things, that a Toronto officer accessed confidential information and leaked it to key organized crime figures.

The sweeping inspection, which Teschner described as “the first of its kind in Canada,” is expected to be completed in 18 months. It will focus on system-wide police integrity and anti-corruption risks.

“I determined it was necessary to appoint an external inspector with experience leading large‑scale, independent public investigations and inquiries to ensure this work is conducted with the focus and rigor it requires, and in a manner that maintains public trust,” Teschner said.

The Toronto Police Service and the Toronto Police Services Board jointly requested the review in the wake of Project South, and Teschner decided to make it a “sector-wide” review.

According to Teschner, Hourigan will have the legal authority to obtain all information from police services and boards that he deems necessary and use a range of methods, including document and data reviews.

Hourigan served on the Court of Appeal of Ontario from 2013 to Nov. 2025. Before that, he was a justice of the Ontario Superior Court, where he presided over jury and non-jury civil, criminal, and family matters.

He also led the 2025 investigation under Alberta’s Police Act and served as the commissioner of the 2022 public inquiry into the Ottawa LRT.

“I welcome the opportunity to undertake this work,” Hourigan said in a statement.

“I intend to approach this inspection with rigour and a focus on ensuring that the systems designed to protect police integrity are working as intended, so that the public can continue to have confidence in their police services and the boards that govern them.”

With files from Joshua Freeman