Lawyers fight over who should be allowed to witness infant autopsies in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG – A Manitoba judge has reserved a procedural decision involving autopsies on the bodies of six infants found in a Winnipeg storage locker.

The lawyer for Andrea Giesbrecht (GEEZ’-brehkt), who is accused of concealing the remains, wants an independent pathologist to monitor the autopsies by the chief medical examiner’s office.

But a lawyer for the medical examiner’s office says the examiner has the right to conduct autopsies without interference.

David Gisser says there is nothing in provincial law that gives the courts authority over how autopsies are done.

The two sides also argued over whether the chief medical examiner’s office should even have standing at the hearing.

The judge said a decision will come next week.

Giesbrecht, who is 40, remains in custody and sat attentively in court as the lawyers made their arguments.