Supreme Court decision could affect Justin Bourque’s sentence: Lawyer
The lawyer who represented a man who murdered three RCMP officers nearly eight years ago in Moncton, N.B., said Friday’s Supreme Court decision, striking down consecutive periods of parole ineligibility in cases of multiple first degree murders, may potentially change his sentence.
On June 4, 2014, Justin Bourque shot and killed Codiac RCMP constables Dave Ross, Fabrice Gevaudan, and Doug Larche in a Moncton shooting rampage that led to a 28-hour manhunt before being captured. Constables Eric Dubois and Darlene Goguen were also injured in the shootings.
Bourque was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced later that year to serve 75 years in prison before parole eligibility.
The sentence was possible due to a 2011 amendment to Canada’s Criminal Code allowing consecutive 25-year parole ineligibility periods to be imposed in cases of mass murderers.
Lawyer David Lutz, who represented Bourque in the 2014 trial, said Friday’s Supreme Court decision supported “the idea of rehabilitation.”
Lutz told CTV Atlantic he planned to speak with Bourque as soon as he was able to.
“I can only tell him about the decision and tell him my expectation of what’s going to happen, and once again be patient,” said Lutz. “I think it will be on a case-by-case basis. But I think overall, the fact that the law was declared invalid, it’s not like they’re getting a pardon. It’s just they now have a faint hope that they will be able to rehabilitate themselves, that after 25 years they can rejoin society.”
Lutz said he expected the Supreme Court decision to be unpopular with many in the general public, adding it could push the federal government to create new laws in the form of crime prevention.
“This decision, I believe, if followed through all the way will make us safe,” said Lutz. “I would bet two to one that before five o’clock today, Justin Trudeau is going to sit down with the Minister of Justice Lametti and say, ‘Get a move on, get a move on collecting these AK-47’s and AR-15’s, we got to get them off the street before the next multiple murder,’ because of this decision.”
In an interview Friday with CTV’s Question Period, Justice Minister David Lametti said he supported judges having discretion in handing down sentences they felt were appropriate.
“Does that mean I’m always in favour of consecutive sentences? No,” said Lametti. “But I do want the judge to have that kind of discretion in cases where it’s necessary. We’ll go back and look at this and look at it carefully and see if there’s a path forward.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.