PHOTO CAPTION: "Dr. Evan Matshes, a former forensic pathologist in the Calgary medical examiner's office."

GIST: In 2012, a three-member panel of pathologists conducted a review of findings by Dr. Evan Matshes, a forensic pathologist who spent 13 months working at the Calgary medical examiner’s office starting in 2010. The panel of American pathologists examined the findings of 14 investigations conducted by Matshes, including 13 that involved death, determining his conclusions were “unreasonable” in all but one. The findings of the panel could have later exonerated those already serving sentences, having been convicted for crimes involving deaths that were deemed homicides. But an investigation earlier this month by CBC’s The Fifth Estate found that the report wasn’t shared with the relevant parties. In a number of those cases, the defendants said they pleaded guilty to lesser charges, leading to incarceration, having felt the evidence of Matshes’ autopsy results would surely mean a guilty verdict for the more serious offence of second-degree murder. Now, Schweitzer wants to know whether the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service did, in fact, fail to provide adequate disclosure to defence lawyers and their clients, senior Alberta Justice sources told Postmedia. “I am concerned with allegations related to a former medical examiner’s findings from 2010 to 2011 and have directed my officials to retain external counsel to review steps taken by the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service regarding matters involving this medical examiner,” Schweitzer said in an emailed statement on Thursday. Schweitzer’s press secretary Jonah Mozeson said details surrounding the scope of the review will be finalized in the coming days and then be made available to the public. “In his capacity as Minister of Justice, Minister Schweitzer takes any concern about a lack of faith in the justice system very seriously,” Mozeson said in an email. “After a number of briefings on the matter, he felt it was necessary to ensure the matter was reviewed more thoroughly.” It’s not clear at this time how long the probe will take. Asked if the province planned to speak with relevant defence lawyers, judges, or even Matshes himself, Mozeson said “the government will not limit who the external counsel can approach” during the review. “Our democracy is grounded on public faith in the administration of justice. As Minister of Justice, I want Albertans to know that we take our responsibility as a government seriously and ensure that we take steps to resolve any potential injustice,” Schweitzer stated. “I have instructed the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service to offer their full cooperation to the external counsel.” Eric Tolppanen, assistant deputy minister of the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, previously told CBC he was confident prosecutors had properly disclosed necessary information to defence lawyers. Tolppanen “welcomes this review and fully supports it, including providing full cooperation to the external counsel,” Alberta Justice spokesman Dan Laville said in an email to Postmedia on Thursday, following a request to Tolppanen for comment." During his stay in Calgary, Matshes conducted 426 death investigations, including 262 autopsies and 164 external exams in just over a year. He left his position in September 2011 for reasons unrelated to the peer review, according to the province. His work later came under the microscope after an insurance company raised concern about an accidental death finding. He has disputed the validity of findings that questioned his work, saying in some cases the three U.S. pathologists who conducted the 2012 peer review didn’t have the complete or proper file.  A Court of Queen’s Bench judge, ruling the process used to investigate Matshes was unfair, later quashed the panel’s findings. “What transpired breached the duty of procedural fairness to be accorded to Dr. Matshes and strayed into a process… to be directed at Dr. Matshes’s reputation and employability rather than any, and I use this next word intentionally, demonstrated purpose for the administration of justice within Alberta,” Justice Paul Jeffrey stated in 2013. In a statement to Postmedia, Matshes also pointed out that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta reviewed the same cases prior to the peer review panel, concluding his work met the standard of care. “This disparity makes clear the necessity to ensure that during any review of a forensic pathologist’s work, reviewers are given ample time to review at least the same dataset as that from which the original pathologist operated,” he said. “It should go without saying that reviewers should have the opportunity to ask the original pathologist questions, and to bring clarity.” Last year, the Texas Medical Board cleared Matshes of wrongdoing, along with fellow former Calgary medical examiner Dr. Sam Andrews, in an autopsy that sparked accusations against the pair of inappropriately harvesting organs from a deceased child without the consent of families. Matshes said the decision was further vindication their work had been professional and proper. He remains embroiled in a $30-million lawsuit, filed in 2014, against both the Alberta government and former Alberta chief medical examiner Dr. Anny Sauvageau, charging both with conspiring to ruin his career by spreading false information about him."