Inquest makes recommendations to improve investigations and oversight in cases involving minors

Release

Department of Justice and Public Safety

April 15, 2026

SAINT JOHN (GNB) – A jury at a coroner’s inquest has made recommendations aimed at improving investigations and oversight in cases involving minors.

An inquest into the death of Aaliyah Burrell was held this week at the Saint John courthouse. Burrell died on March 12, 2021.

The Child Death Review Committee reviewed this case and recommended that an inquest take place.

Coroners and juries can classify a death as a homicide, suicide, accident, natural causes or manner undetermined. The inquest found the manner of Burrell’s death was undetermined. The jury determined the cause of death to be sharp force trauma.

The five-member jury heard from 12 witnesses and made several recommendations:

·         That a standardized operating procedure be established for law enforcement in cases involving the death of a minor, including mandatory involvement of forensic identification services and mandatory interviews of all individuals present at the time of death.

·         That coroner training be enhanced to ensure coroners are empowered to fully exercise their authority when conducting investigations involving the death of a minor.

·         That the coroner and law enforcement be required to attend all Type 2 autopsies involving minors.

·         That the presence of extended care paramedics be ensured in rural areas.

·         That the appropriate authority/district ensure households choosing to home-school their children are subject to periodic wellness checks to support ongoing monitoring of student well-being.

·         That all requests for additional services (such as forensic identification, victim services, etc.) be formally documented, including the rationale for any decisions made.

The chief coroner will forward these recommendations to the appropriate agencies for consideration and response. The response will be included in the chief coroner’s annual report for 2026.

An inquest is a formal court proceeding that allows for the public presentation of all evidence relating to a death. It does not make any finding of legal responsibility, nor does it assign blame. However, recommendations can be made, aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future.

15-04-26

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