Overlooked e-mails force delay at cancer inquiry

Newfoundland and Labrador's cancer inquiry was halted Tuesday after lawyers were told about a series of e-mails that could turn out to contain critical evidence.

Commission co-counsel Bern Coffey said Tuesday morning that the e-mails date from July 2005, when officials at Eastern Health informed then Health Minister John Ottenheimer about problems with hormone receptor testing.

Coffey said he and fellow co-counsel Sandra Chaytor were told that they had not previously seen the e-mails, which involved Robert Thompson, then the senior civil servant in the Newfoundland and Labrador government.

"We were advised that late yesterday, certain documents were located," Coffey told Justice Margaret Cameron Tuesday.

The documents were turned over by Rolf Pritchard, counsel for the Crown at the inquiry.

Coffey said a further search has been started for other e-mails that may have been missed in the original search for documentation.

Proceedings at the inquiry adjourned until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

The inquiry, which began proceedings two weeks ago, is examining how a pathology lab in St. John's produced inaccurate results for more than 300 breast cancer patients, between 1997 and 2005.

Ottenheimer, who had begun testifying at the inquiry, will not be called back to the stand until commission counsel have reviewed the new evidence, Coffey said.

Ottenheimer is now expected to resume testimony on Thursday morning.