R. v. Savard, 2017 SCC 21, [2017] 1 SCR 400

  

 

SUPREME COURT OF CANADA

 

Citation: R. v. Savard, 2017 SCC 21, [2017] 1 S.C.R. 400

Appeal heard: March 31, 2017 Judgment rendered: March 31, 2017 Docket: 36908

 

 

 

Between:

Jean-Louis Savard

Appellant

 

and

 

Her Majesty The Queen

Respondent

 

Official English Translation

 

Coram: Wagner, Gascon, Côté, Brown and Rowe JJ.

 

Reasons for Judgment: (paras. 1 to 4)

Wagner J. (Gascon, Côté, Brown and Rowe JJ. concurring)

 

 

 

R. v. Savard, 2017 SCC 21, [2017] 1 S.C.R. 400

 

 

 

Jean-Louis Savard                                                                                          Appellant

v.

Her Majesty The Queen                                                                              Respondent

 

 

 

Indexed as:  R. v. Savard

 

 

 

2017 SCC 21

 

 

 

File No.:  36908.

 

 

 

2017:  March 31.

 

 

 

Present:  Wagner, Gascon, Côté, Brown and Rowe JJ.

 

 

 

 

on appeal from the court of appeal for quebec

 

                    Criminal law — Evidence — Assessment — Credibility of witnesses — Court of Appeal finding that guilty verdict was reasonable and compatible with evidence — Convictions affirmed.

 

                    APPEAL from a judgment of the Quebec Court of Appeal (Chamberland, Morin and Dutil JJ.A.), 2016 QCCA 380, [2016] AZ-51259810, [2016] J.Q. n^o 1608 (QL), 2016 CarswellQue 1699 (WL Can.), affirming convictions for indecent assault and gross indecency entered by Boudreault J., 2014 QCCQ 10256, [2014] AZ-51117846, [2014] J.Q. n^o 11811 (QL), 2014 CarswellQue 11286 (WL Can.).  Appeal dismissed, Côté J. dissenting.

                    Christian Maltais, for the appellant.

                    Sébastien Vallée and Mélanie Paré, for the respondent.

                    English version of the judgment of the Court delivered orally by

[1]                              Wagner J. — This appeal as of right is based on the dissent of one judge in the Quebec Court of Appeal.

[2]                              The appellant was found guilty by Judge Michel Boudreault of the Court of Quebec of having committed a number of sexual offences on his nephews and niece dating back to the 1960s.

[3]                              A majority of the judges of this Court agree with the reasons of the majority of the Court of Appeal. Côté J. would have ordered a new trial for the reasons of the dissenting judge in the Court of Appeal.

[4]                              For these reasons, the appeal is dismissed.

                    Judgment accordingly.

                    Solicitors for the appellant: Christian Maltais, Avocats, Baie-Comeau.

                    Solicitor for the respondent: Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions of Quebec, Chicoutimi.