Alberta. Justice and Attorney General

Collectivité

Alberta. Justice and Attorney General

Administrative History:;Dates of Founding and/or Dissolution: The functional responsibility of the Chief Medical Examiner was first established in 1927. Functional Responsibility: The initial legislation which established coroners in the province of Alberta was The Coroner's Act (S.A. Chapter 15, 1906). The Coroner reported to the Branch of Public Health until 1913 when the responsibility was transferred from Agriculture to the Department of the Attorney General. The primary function at this time was to investigate deaths where the cause or the responsibility was uncertain. In 1927 an amendment to the Coroner's Act created the Provincial Chief Coroner to supervise the activities of coroners in the Province and to direct the Coroner's Branch of the Department of the Attorney General. The Fatality Inquiries Act (S.A. Chapter 66, 1976) repealed the Corners Act and created the Chief Medical Examiner. The Chief Medical Examiner continued the primary functions of the Provincial Chief Coroner, however under the new legislation, all medical examiners were required to be pathologists. The Chief Medical Examiner continued investigating and reporting death and supervising medical examiners. The responsibilities of the Chief Medical Examiner under this legislation were expanded to include the development and maintenance of facilities that may be required, and the education of persons required to perform functions under this Act. The Chief Medical Examiner's responsibilities also included the inspection of medical certificates of death in all cases where burial permits are issued pursuant to The Vital Statistics Act. The Chief Medical Examiner has also been responsible for the initiation of research into preventable deaths. Predecessor and Successor Bodies; The functional responsibility of the Provincial Chief Coroner was the responsibility of the Attorney General prior to the 1927 amendment in The Coroner Act. Administrative Relationships: The Lieutenant Governor appointed the coroners in Alberta with the proclamation of The Coroner's Act (S.A. Chapter 15, 1906). In 1927 the Lieutenant Governor began appointing the Provincial Chief Coroner. The Lieutenant Governor, under The Coroner's Act, could appoint a Chief Coroner of a city that had more than fifteen thousand inhabitants. In The Fatality Inquiries Act, the Lieutenant Governor appoints the Chief Medical Examiner and prescribes remuneration. The Attorney General appointed physicians as medical examiners throughout the Province under this legislation. Administrative Structure: The Chief Medical Examiner heads a division of the Department of Justice and Attorney General. In accordance with The Public Service Act, the Chief Medical Examiner can appoint a Deputy Chief Medical Examiner and an Assistant Deputy Chief Medical Examiner. There are two regional offices of the Chief Medical Examiner situated in Edmonton and Calgary. Names of the Corporate Bodies: The Provincial Chief Coroner was first named in 1927. This name was repealed. The Chief Medical Examiner was first established under the Fatality Inquiries Act in 1976 and took on the functions of the Provincial Chief Coroner. Names of Chief Officers: Dr. J.C. Butt, [1974?]-1992; Dr. G. Dowling, MD, FRCP, 1993-.