Alberta sends letter of apology to former medical examiner

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 4:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

The Alberta authorities has issued a missive of apology to a erstwhile adjunct main aesculapian examiner, with the state saying nary miscarriages of justness resulted from his enactment and helium was "treated unfairly." 

The apology comes much than a decennary aft Dr. Evan Matshes launched a $30-million suit against the province, arguing he'd been the taxable of a smear run intended to origin him reputational harm and ruin his career.

Matshes worked arsenic Alberta's adjunct main aesculapian examiner successful Calgary successful 2010 and 2011.

"Dr. Matshes was treated unfairly successful the events of these matters and the authorities of Alberta regrets the harm done to the estimation of Dr. Matshes," said the missive from the provincial justness ministry dated Feb 14.  

"The authorities of Alberta unequivocally states that the allegations that Dr. Matshes's enactment arsenic a aesculapian examiner was unreasonable were unfounded and are retracted. There person been nary miscarriages of justness successful transportation with Dr. Matshes's work."

Matshes resigned successful 2011. A connection issued this period connected his behalf said helium resigned successful protestation of conditions astatine the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 

The state said successful its missive of apology that pursuing his resignation, "certain allegations" were made regarding his work. It said those allegations were aboriginal proven to beryllium unfounded. Yet, the contention "has unfairly caused harm to the vocation and estimation of Dr. Matshes."

"Those allegations, which were aboriginal proven to person been unfounded, became the taxable of public, governmental and ineligible controversy," reads the letter, attributed to Elizabeth Macve, adjunct lawman curate of strategy, enactment and integrated initiatives. 

"That contention has unfairly caused harm to the vocation and estimation of Dr. Matshes."

The state said a fig of interior and outer reviews of Matshes's enactment and complaints, including those done by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, "dismissed the allegations oregon confirmed that determination person been nary miscarriages of justice."

In a statement, Matshes wrote that helium was "grateful that Alberta Justice has yet acknowledged that I was unfairly targeted and that the prime of my enactment is beyond reproach."

"As a forensic pathologist, my work is to guarantee that the justness strategy and the nationalist person reliable aesculapian evidence, and defensible opinions. The retraction and apology from Alberta Justice talk volumes to maine astir mounting the grounds straight," Matshes wrote.

In 2012, an outer sheet of 3 forensic pathologists conducted a reappraisal of immoderate of Matshes's work. It claimed his findings successful 13 of 14 cases were "unreasonable."

But those findings were quashed aft an Alberta Court of Queen's Bench justness ruled that the sheet reappraisal wasn't just to Matshes and that helium hadn't been decently consulted. 

Two years later, Matshes sued the province, alleging that respective individuals had launched a smear run against him to destruct his estimation and career.

Subsequent reviews of the matter, including 1 led by a retired justness of the Superior Court of Ontario, dismissed the allegations, arsenic noted successful the province's apology letter.

Matshes and the state reached a confidential agreement, but did not publically disclose a settlement. A spokesperson with Alberta Justice declined to remark connected the agreement, arsenic did a spokesperson for Marshes, citing its confidential nature.

Separately, Matshes is besides suing CBC News for a two-part communicative connected The Fifth Estate tv program, entitled The Autopsy: What If Justice Got It Wrong, which aired successful January 2020. The lawsuit, filed successful January 2022, alleged "reckless, irresponsible, and deliberate" defamation of Matshes.

CBC News requested remark connected the suit from CBC caput of nationalist affairs Chuck Thompson.

"While we don't remark connected matters earlier the courts, we basal by our journalism successful this story," Thompson said successful an email.

A spokesperson for Matshes said helium was continuing to "aggressively prosecute his litigation against The Fifth Estate."

Matshes present works successful the United States arsenic aesculapian manager astatine an autarkic bureau providing forensic pathology services.

The state said helium would beryllium eligible for employment arsenic a forensic pathologist successful Alberta if helium should take to question specified employment.