Case information
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42096
Dillon Ricky Whitehawk v. His Majesty the King
(Saskatchewan) (Criminal) (As of Right)
Docket
Judgments on applications for leave to appeal are rendered by the Court, but are not necessarily unanimous.
| Date | Proceeding | Filed By (if applicable) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-13 | Letter acknowledging receipt of a notice of appeal, OPENED FILE | |
| 2025-11-10 | Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), 23B, (Printed version filed on 2025-11-12) | Dillon Ricky Whitehawk |
| 2025-11-10 | Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), 23A, (Printed version filed on 2025-11-12) | Dillon Ricky Whitehawk |
| 2025-11-10 | Notice of appeal, (Letter Form), Completed on: 2025-11-10, (Printed version filed on 2025-11-12) | Dillon Ricky Whitehawk |
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
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Whitehawk, Dillon Ricky | Applicant | Active |
v.
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| His Majesty the King | Respondent | Active |
Counsel
Party: Whitehawk, Dillon Ricky
Counsel
Nathan Metivier
311 – 21st Street E.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7K 0C1
Telephone: (306) 653-5656
FAX: (866) 869-2959
Email: thomas@pfefferlelaw.com
Agent
440 Laurier Ave. West
Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario
K1R 7X6
Telephone: (613) 691-1224
FAX: (613) 691-1338
Email: mdillon@supremelawgroup.ca
Party: His Majesty the King
Counsel
300 - 1874 Scarth St.
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 4B3
Telephone: (306) 787-5490
FAX: (306) 787-8878
Email: pouria.tabrizireardigan@gov.sk.ca
Agent
160 Elgin Street, Suite 2600
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 1C3
Telephone: (613) 786-0106
FAX: (613) 563-9869
Email: lea.desjardins@gowlingwlg.com
Summary
Keywords
Criminal law — Trial — Judgments — Reasons for judgment — Sufficiency of reasons — Whether the trial judge erred in law by failing to provide sufficient reasons for conviction<br><br>
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.
The appellant, Dillon Whitehawk, was charged with the first degree murder of Keesha Bitternose. The trial judge found that Mr. Whitehawk was not guilty of first degree murder because the murder was not planned and deliberate, the victim was not forcibly confined, and the murder was not caused by Mr. Whitehawk in association with a criminal organization. Accordingly, Mr. Whitehawk was acquitted of first degree murder, but convicted of second degree murder. Mr. Whitehawk appealed his conviction, primarily alleging that the trial judge’s reasons were insufficient, thereby constituting either an error of law or an unreasonable verdict that warranted appellate intervention. The majority of the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan dismissed the appeal. It saw no basis to find an error of law grounded in a claim that the judge’s reasons were insufficient. It further held that since the verdict was amply supported by the evidence, there was no basis for the court to intervene under s. 686(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Code. Justice Drennan, dissenting, would have allowed the appeal, quashed the conviction and remitted the matter for a new trial. She concluded that the trial reasons do not justify and explain the result, are unintelligible as to the path to conviction taken by the judge, and are not responsive to the live issues at trial.
Lower court rulings
Accused acquitted of first degree murder, but convicted of second degree murder.
Appeal dismissed.
Memorandums of argument on application for leave to appeal
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Downloadable PDFs
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Related links
Factums on appeal
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
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