As coroner’s inquest set to begin, family concerned Rodney Levi could be ‘voiceless’: lawyer

The lawyer representing Rodney Levi says New Brunswick is the only jurisdiction in Canada that doesn't permit families to have representation in inquest proceedings.

The lawyer representing Rodney Levi’s family worries about a “structural barrier” as part of New Brunswick coroner’s inquests that could result in a lack of representation.

“New Brunswick is the only jurisdiction in the country that does not permit families to have standings in inquest proceedings,” says Alisa Lombard, a partner at Semaganis Worme Lombard in Saskatoon, “and so, of course, the concern there is, how will the late Rodney Levi be given voice, and will the family’s lack of standing render him voiceless?”

The policy means no members of his family or Lombard herself will be able to speak or question witnesses.

“We are not confident that the full breadth of evidence that should be before the inquest will be on account of this structural barrier,” she says.

The coroner’s inquest, which begins Tuesday, will publicly hear evidence from witnesses to determine facts surrounding Levi’s death.

Lombard says the family is hoping for serious inquiry into the happenings around his death, and not just in the encounter with police.

“They’re holding strong onto the hope that there will be a full review of the evidence, that that evidence will be thoughtfully considered, that this will illuminate the truth, of course, and that there will be recommendations for accountability and prevention,” Lombard says.

The formal proceeding — with jurors and presiding coroner — does not make any finding of legal responsibility.