Alberta's former chief medical examiner is raising questions about the security and integrity of Alberta's autopsy report system.

Earlier this week, former Alberta chief medical examiner Dr. Anny Sauvageau gave testimony at a second-degree murder preliminary inquiry and reportedly couldn't verify the authenticity of an autopsy report because it could have been altered in the system.

"Anyone can enter the system and modify anything and there will be no tracking (in) the system of who did what, at what date," said Sauvageau, according CBC News. "It is a major failure in the system."

Sauvageau claims she told Alberta Justice Deputy Minister Tim Grant about the problem and was told to "keep it secret." She also made the claims as part of a high-profile $5.1-million wrongful termination lawsuit against Justice Minister Jonathan Denis and several high-ranking officials within the department after her contract wasn't renewed last year.

Alberta Justice, however, disagrees with the claims. Spokesperson Michelle Davio on Friday said she couldn't comment on the lawsuit but said the department "remains confident" in the MEDIC database program used by the office and the official records used in court proceedings.

"No autopsy report is ever released directly from the MEDIC program as these reports are not signed and all reports prepared by a medical examiner/pathologists are signed in person," wrote Davio in an email.

"MEDIC also has a multi-level security in the system with many having READ ONLY access to information."

Davio said the official autopsy reports released to next-of-kin, interested parties, police, and Crown prosecutors are printed documents signed by the medical examiner and "the ME would not sign the document without being certain it was accurate and his/her own."

In February, Sauvageau launched a wrongful termination lawsuit against multiple Alberta Justice officials alleging the government interfered with her office's operations. Sauvageau's contract was not renewed when it expired last year.

In her suit, Sauvageau alleges that in 2014 she was pressured to bend the rules for a former cabinet minister wanting to view a body and that she was forbidden to fire an employee because it was suggested the person might be a family relative of then Premier Dave Hancock's deputy chief of staff. She also raises several concerns about body transportation services, including claims that funeral services staff were taking pictures of crime scenes for personal collections.

In a statement of defence, Alberta Justice claims Sauvageau's lawsuit was filed "for the sole purpose of harassment" and should be dismissed. The government claims it is unaware of the of funeral services staff allegations and says Sauvageau's contract was not renewed because she worked in an "obstructionist, confrontational and disrespectful" manner.

The statements contain allegations that have not been proven in court.

matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca

@SunMattDykstra