A court hearing to review a coroner’s inquest into the death of Raymond Silverfox has been delayed.
The hearing, which was supposed to happen last Friday, will now be heard on December 21.
In May, the Silverfox family filed an appeal against the coroner’s ruling.
“The coroner’s conduct of the inquest breached the rules of natural justice,” the family said in its petition.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Charles Lee ruled Silverfox died of sepsis and acute pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the family maintains Silverfox died at the hands of RCMP officers who did not seek out medical attention for him when he was held in police custody on December 2, 2008.
That evening, Silverfox vomited and soiled himself numerous times and was mocked by officers before he was eventually taken to hospital where he died.
“An inquest is only as good as the investigation (done by the coroner),” said family lawyer Susan Roothman.
“We want the coroner’s investigation also reviewed.”
A court hearing to determine the actual scope of the review has been postponed so the family could access a transcript of the coroner’s inquest, said Roothman.
In the meantime, the family is waiting to receive an interim report by the Commission of Complaints Against the RCMP regarding Silverfox’s death.
Last week, a commission news release wrongly stated both the family and the RCMP had received a copy of the report.
Instead, it had been sent to the commissioner in Ottawa to review.
Only after the commissioner has commented on the report will the RCMP receive a copy, said RCMP spokesman Sgt. Don Rogers.
The report will only be made public once the RCMP has reviewed and commented on the report.
There’s no word yet on when that may happen. (Vivian Belik).