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Case information

Conduct a refined search of the Supreme Court of Canada database to obtain details on the status of a matter before the Court.


41353

Christopher Husbands v. His Majesty the King

(Ontario) (Criminal) (By Leave)

(Publication ban in case)

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)
2025-08-15 Close file on Leave
2025-08-14 Copy of formal judgment sent to Registrar of the Court of Appeal and all parties
2025-08-14 Judgment on leave sent to the parties
2025-08-14 Judgment of the Court on the application for leave to appeal, The motion for an extension of time to serve and file the application for leave to appeal is granted. The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, Number C67858, 2024 ONCA 155, dated February 28, 2024, is dismissed.
Dismissed
2025-08-14 Decision on motion to extend time to file and /or serve the leave application, See judgment on application
Granted
2025-05-13 Notice of change of solicitor, (Letter Form), (Printed version due on 2025-05-21) Christopher Husbands
2024-10-03 Submission of motion to extend time, for consideration by the Court
2024-10-03 Motion to extend time, (Book Form), to file the response, Completed on: 2024-10-04, (Printed version filed on 2024-10-09) His Majesty the King
2024-10-03 Response to the motion to extend the time to file and / or serve the leave application, (Letter Form), Completed on: 2024-10-04 His Majesty the King
2024-10-02 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), Form 23B, (Printed version filed on 2024-10-09) His Majesty the King
2024-10-02 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), Form 23A, (Printed version filed on 2024-10-09) His Majesty the King
2024-10-01 Respondent's response on the application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), PUB-BAN
videos in support of the response
Missing:
- Motion for extension of time (Rec'd 2024-10-03), Completed on: 2024-10-03, (Printed version due on 2024-10-08)
His Majesty the King
2024-09-23 All materials on application for leave submitted to the Judges, for consideration by the Court
2024-09-23 Submission of motion to extend time to file and/ or serve the leave application, for consideration by the Court
2024-07-05 Letter acknowledging receipt of a complete application for leave to appeal, FILE OPENED
2024-07-04 Motion to extend the time to file and or serve the application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Completed on: 2024-07-05, (Printed version filed on 2024-07-05) Christopher Husbands
2024-07-04 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), Form 23B, (Printed version filed on 2024-07-05) Christopher Husbands
2024-07-04 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), Form 23A, (Printed version filed on 2024-07-05) Christopher Husbands
2024-07-04 Application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Missing:
- Amended notice of application (Rec'd July 23, 2024), Completed on: 2024-07-23, (Printed version filed on 2024-07-05)
Christopher Husbands

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
Husbands, Christopher Applicant Active

v.

Main parties - Respondents
Name Role Status
His Majesty the King Respondent Active

Counsel

Party: Husbands, Christopher

Counsel
Names
Stephanie DiGiuseppe
Tara Boghosian
Contact information
Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP
235 King Street East
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 1J9
Telephone: (416) 368-5000 Ext: 196
FAX: (416) 368-5000
Email: sdigiuseppe@hhllp.ca
Agent
Name
Marie-France Major
Contact information
Supreme Advocacy LLP
340 Gilmour Street
Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 0R3
Telephone: (613) 695-8855 Ext: 102
FAX: (613) 695-8580
Email: mfmajor@supremeadvocacy.ca

Party: His Majesty the King

Counsel
Name
Michael Bernstein
Contact information
Attorney General of Ontario
720 Bay St
10th Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 2S9
Telephone: (437) 833-9425
FAX: (416) 326-4656
Email: Michael.bernstein@ontario.ca

Summary

Keywords

Criminal law — Sentencing — What is the proper framework in sentencing for consideration of social context evidence of anti-Black racism — What is the proper framework in sentencing for consideration of mental health evidence?

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.

Mr. Husbands took a fully loaded semi-automatic handgun to the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto and opened fire in the food court. He fatally shot two men, critically injured a boy who was shot in the head, shot and injured four other bystanders, and a pregnant woman was trampled by a fleeing crowd. A jury returned verdicts of guilty on two counts of manslaughter, five counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and one count of intentionally discharging a firearm while being reckless as to the life or safety of another person. Mr. Husbands was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment with parole eligibility of seven years for the manslaughter convictions and concurrent terms of imprisonment for the other convictions. The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal from the sentences.

Lower court rulings

November 29, 2019
Ontario Superior Court of Justice

2019 ONSC 6824

Sentence of two concurrent terms of life imprisonment, each with parole eligibility of seven years, and concurrent fixed-terms of imprisonment

February 28, 2024
Court of Appeal for Ontario

2024 ONCA 155

Appeal from sentences 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

Webcasts

Not available.

Date modified: 2025-08-16