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34444

Cathie Gauthier v. Her Majesty the Queen

(Quebec) (Criminal) (By Leave)

Docket

Judgments on applications for leave to appeal are rendered by the Court, but are not necessarily unanimous.

List of proceedings
Date Proceeding Filed By
(if applicable)
2013-06-11 Appeal closed
2013-06-10 Formal judgment sent to the registrar of the court of appeal and all parties
2013-06-10 Judgment on appeal and notice of deposit of judgment sent to all parties
2013-06-07 Judgment on the appeal rendered, LeB F Abe Ro Mo Ka Wa, The appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Quebec (Québec), Number 200-10-002454-093, 2011 QCCA 1395, dated July 26, 2011, heard on December 13, 2012, is dismissed, Fish J. dissenting.
Dismissed
2012-12-28 Transcript received, (63 pages)
2012-12-13 Judgment reserved OR rendered with reasons to follow
2012-12-13 Hearing of the appeal, 2012-12-13, LeB F Abe Ro Mo Ka Wa
Judgment reserved
2012-12-13 Acknowledgement and consent for video taping of proceedings, All parties consented
2012-12-13 Intervener's condensed book, (Book Form), Filed in Court Attorney General of Ontario
2012-12-13 Respondent's condensed book, (Book Form), Filed in Court Her Majesty the Queen
2012-12-10 Notice of appearance, Grace Choi and Christine Bartlett-Hughes will be appearing Attorney General of Ontario
2012-12-04 Notice of appearance, Sonia Rouleau and Régis Boisvert will be appearing Her Majesty the Queen
2012-11-22 Order on motion to extend time, (by CROMWELL J.)
2012-11-22 Decision on motion to extend time, Cro, FURTHER TO THE ORDER dated August 23, 2012, granting leave to intervene to the Attorney General of Ontario;
AND UPON APPLICATION by the Attorney General of Ontario for an order extending the time to serve and file its Factum and Book of Authorities to October 23, 2012 and for an order pursuant to Rule 71(3) permitting oral argument at the hearing of the appeal;
AND THE MATERIAL FILED having been read;
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
The motion is granted and the said intervener is granted permission to present oral argument not exceeding ten (10) minutes at the hearing of the appeal
Granted
2012-11-22 Submission of motion to extend time, Cro
2012-10-24 Response to motion to extend time, email from René Duval dated Oct. 19/12, Completed on: 2012-10-24 Cathie Gauthier
2012-10-23 Response to motion to extend time, email from Jean Campeau dated Oct. 18/12, Completed on: 2012-10-23 Her Majesty the Queen
2012-10-23 Motion to extend time, to serve and file the Intervener's factum and book of authorities to Oct. 23/12, Completed on: 2012-10-23 Attorney General of Ontario
2012-10-23 Intervener's book of authorities, Completed on: 2012-10-23 Attorney General of Ontario
2012-10-23 Intervener's factum, Completed on: 2012-10-23 Attorney General of Ontario
2012-09-13 Appeal perfected for hearing
2012-09-12 Respondent's book of authorities, Completed on: 2012-09-12 Her Majesty the Queen
2012-09-12 Respondent's record, Completed on: 2012-09-12 Her Majesty the Queen
2012-09-12 Respondent's factum, Completed on: 2012-09-12 Her Majesty the Queen
2012-08-23 Order on motion for leave to intervene, (BY CROMWELL J.)
2012-08-23 Decision on the motion for leave to intervene, Cro, UPON APPLICATION by the Attorney General of Ontario for leave to intervene in the above appeal;
AND THE MATERIAL FILED having been read;
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
The motion for leave to intervene of the Attorney General of Ontario is granted and the said intervener shall be entitled to serve and file a factum not to exceed 10 pages in length on or before October 18, 2012.
The request to present oral argument is deferred to a date following receipt and consideration of the written arguments of the parties and the intervener.
The intervener is not entitled to raise new issues or to adduce further evidence or otherwise to supplement the record of the parties.
Pursuant to Rule 59(1)(a) of the Rules of the Supreme Court of Canada, the intervener shall pay to the appellant and respondent any additional disbursements occasioned to the appellant and respondent by its intervention
Granted
2012-08-23 Submission of motion for leave to intervene, Cro
2012-08-08 Response to the motion for leave to intervene, of the Attorney General of Ontario, Completed on: 2012-08-08 Cathie Gauthier
2012-07-31 Motion for leave to intervene, Completed on: 2012-07-31 Attorney General of Ontario
2012-07-24 Notice of hearing sent to parties
2012-07-19 Appellant's record, Parts I and II - Certificate of Counsel and Judgments with 9 additional volumes, Completed on: 2012-07-19 Cathie Gauthier
2012-07-19 Appellant's book of authorities, Completed on: 2012-07-19 Cathie Gauthier
2012-07-19 Appellant's factum, Completed on: 2012-07-19 Cathie Gauthier
2012-07-19 Appeal hearing scheduled, 2012-12-13
Judgment reserved
2012-04-26 Notice of appeal, CD missing (rec'd Jul19/2012), Completed on: 2012-07-19 Cathie Gauthier
2012-04-04 Letter advising the parties of tentative hearing date and filing deadlines (Leave granted)
2012-03-30 Copy of formal judgment sent to Registrar of the Court of Appeal and all parties
2012-03-30 Judgment on leave sent to the parties
2012-03-29 Judgment of the Court on the application for leave to appeal, The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Quebec (Québec), Number 200-10-002454-093, 2011 QCCA 1395, dated July 26, 2011, is granted without costs.
Granted, without costs
2012-01-16 All materials on application for leave submitted to the Judges, De F Ka
2011-12-12 Supplemental document, "Charge to the jury" Cathie Gauthier
2011-10-27 Correspondence received from, Me René Duval, dated Oct.27/11, Re: agrees with changes made as per Factums Instanter Cathie Gauthier
2011-10-24 Respondent's response on the application for leave to appeal, (1 extra copy filed) Service missing (rec'd Oct.28/11), Completed on: 2011-11-08 Her Majesty the Queen
2011-09-30 Correspondence received from, Myriam Ackad of Factums Instanter, dated Sept.28/11, Re: specific changes made in the amended application Cathie Gauthier
2011-09-27 Letter acknowledging receipt of a complete application for leave to appeal
2011-09-23 Application for leave to appeal, (2 volumes) Amended copy filed Sept.30/11 - No motion req'd, Completed on: 2011-09-23 Cathie Gauthier

Parties

Please note that in the case of closed files, the “Status” column reflects the status of the parties at the time of the proceedings. For more information about the proceedings and about the dates when the file was open, please consult the docket of the case in question.

Main parties

Main parties - Appellants
Name Role Status
Gauthier, Cathie Appellant Active

v.

Main parties - Respondents
Name Role Status
Her Majesty the Queen Respondent Active

Other parties

Other parties
Name Role Status
Attorney General of Ontario Intervener Active

Counsel

Party: Gauthier, Cathie

Counsel
Names
René Duval
Jean-François Lauzon
Contact information
Duval Lauzon Ménard
5366, boulevard Jean-XXIII
bureau 105.B
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
G8Z 4A7
Telephone: (819) 375-4113
FAX: (819) 375-8968
Email: contact@reneduval.com

Party: Her Majesty the Queen

Counsel
Names
Sonia Rouleau
Régis Boisvert
Contact information
Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales du Québec
227, rue Racine Est
Chicoutimi, Quebec
G7H 7B4
Telephone: (418) 696-9947 Ext: 62684
FAX: (418) 698-3559
Email: sonia.rouleau@dpcp.gouv.qc.ca
Agent
Name
Jean Campeau
Contact information
Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales du Québec
17, rue Laurier
Bureau 1.230
Gatineau, Quebec
J8X 4C1
Telephone: (819) 776-8111 Ext: 60416
FAX: (819) 772-3986
Email: jean.campeau@dpcp.gouv.qc.ca

Party: Attorney General of Ontario

Counsel
Names
Christine Bartlett-Hughes
Grace Choi
Contact information
Attorney General of Ontario
Crown Law Office - Criminal
10th Floor - 720 Bay Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2K1
Telephone: (416) 326-2351
FAX: (416) 326-4656
Email: christine.bartlett-hughes@jus.gov.on.ca
Agent
Name
Robert E. Houston, Q.C.
Contact information
Burke-Robertson
441 MacLaren Street
Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2H3
Telephone: (613) 236-9665
FAX: (613) 235-4430
Email: rhouston@burkerobertson.com

Summary

Keywords

None.

Summary

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

Criminal law Jury charge Defence of abandonment Whether Court of Appeal erred in law in holding that trial judge had been right not to put defence of abandonment to jury Whether Court of Appeal erred in law in upholding guilty verdicts on ground that appellant should have prevented children from drinking beverages prepared by her spouse R. v. Cinous, [2002] 2 S.C.R. 3.

On January 1, 2009 at 11:56 p.m., the appellant Cathie Gauthier dialled 9 1 1 from her home. In a weak voice broken by sobs, she requested an ambulance. The operator asked her what the problem was. She told the operator that her wrist was cut. The operator asked whether it was a suicide attempt, and Ms. Gauthier answered: [TRANSLATION] “it was a pact; my husband killed our three children”. She later stated: [TRANSLATION] “we said that we wouldn’t start 2009, but. . . .” During the telephone call, which lasted about 12 minutes, Ms. Gauthier also said that she had woken up lying in her bed with her three children. Her wrist was slit and her husband was lying on the bedroom floor. She shook the children, but they did not respond. She stated that her spouse had cut her wrist and drugged everyone with sleeping pills. She had dragged herself to the kitchen to call for help. She had the impression that these events had taken place 24 hours earlier.

Lower court rulings

October 24, 2009
Superior Court of Quebec

150-01-025052-094

Verdicts of guilty of first degree murder returned by jury

July 26, 2011
Court of Appeal of Quebec (Québec)

200-10-002454-093, 2011 QCCA 1395

Appeal dismissed.

Filed documents

The memorandums of argument on an application for leave to appeal will be posted here 30 days after leave to appeal has been granted unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of the memorandum by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a memorandum of argument or want to use a memorandum of argument, please contact the author of the memorandum of argument directly. Their name appears at the end of the memorandum of argument. The contact information for counsel is found in the “Counsel” tab of this page.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The factums of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here at least 2 weeks before the hearing unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of factums by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a factum or want permission to use a factum, please contact the author of the factum directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each factum.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The condensed books of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here upon receipt of the electronic version, 2 days prior to the scheduled appeal hearing. You may also obtain copies of condensed books by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613‑996‑7933 or at 1‑888‑551‑1185.

If you have questions about a condensed book or want permission to use a condensed book, please contact the author of the condensed book directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each condensed book.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

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Date modified: 2025-05-13