Global News has learned Alberta Justice is looking to fill three vacancies in Calgary’s medical examiner’s office after three employees handed in their resignations in recent months.
The resignations follow a February announcement from the province highlighting a need for more staff, committing an investment of an additional $1 million to hire two additional medical examiners to help reduce caseloads.
During the Feb. 8 news conference, Alberta’s chief medical examiner Dr. Elizabeth Brooks-Lim said the goal was to balance workload with increasing demands, including a ruling last year that allows criminal charges to be stayed if a case does not go to trial in an acceptable time frame.
“My office is very acutely aware of the Supreme Court Jordan decision and we are prioritizing cases that may go to trial, such as homicides and other high-profile cases.”
According to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner’s website, 20,000 deaths are investigated in Alberta each year, which includes a combined total of more than 4,000 autopsies and external exams.
The exodus from Calgary also comes in the wake of years of turmoil within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
In 2015, a lawsuit was filed by Dr. Anny Sauvageau, Alberta’s former chief medical examiner, for what she said was political interference in her job.
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In 2013, the court quashed a government review into the work of Calgary medical examiner Dr. Evan Matshes, saying it was “unfair” and was directed at his reputation.
Nearly a year prior to that, the government had issued a press release saying Matshes’ work was found to be “unreasonable” in 13 out of 14 cases reviewed.
In 2011, Dr. Michael Belenky was dismissed after Alberta Justice discovered inaccuracies in one of Belenky’s autopsies, casting doubt on the quality of his work.
Over two years, Belenky performed hundreds of autopsies; 13 of his criminal cases were reviewed.
Alberta Justice spokesperson Dan Laville said two of the Calgary medical examiners are leaving this spring and the third will leave in the summer. He added transition and replacement plans are underway to ensure services continue.
No reason behind the resignations was provided by Alberta Justice, but in a statement to Global News, Laville said in part:
“Although it is inappropriate to discuss why the medical examiners decided to leave, as they were for private personal reasons, we wish them well in their future endeavours.”
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