The lawyer Nathalie Normandeau shouts at the opposition

Photo QMI Agency
Me Maxime Roy

QMI agency

Sunday, December 17, 2017 20:43

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Sunday, December 17, 2017 20:43

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The lawyer Nathalie Normandeau has made the lesson to the elected members of the opposition who have expressed their disagreement with the strategy of the former minister who invokes the judgment in Jordan in order to avoid his trial.

“I urge all politicians to behave at the height of their function. You know very well the rule of “Sub Judice” [“before the judge”]. The case is before the Court, let the judiciary carry out its work,” wrote the lawyer Maxime Roy on his page Facebook, on Sunday evening.

On Friday, the request to abort the trial due to unreasonable delay has officially been sent to the registry of the Court of Québec.

The spokesman of the Parti québécois in the field of justice, Véronique Hivon, as well as Amir Khadir of Québec solidaire had then made known their indignation by stating that the former deputy first minister of a liberal, and his five co-accused (Marc-Yvan Côté, France Michaud, Bruno Lortie, Mario Martel François Roussy) had to face justice.

“So, are you as shocked, but unfortunately also a little surprised that me this news?” wrote Ms. Hivon its page on Facebook, Friday.

“Mr. Couillard, Ms. Valley, why won’t you always use the notwithstanding clause? You need to show the Quebecois that you are determined to see this trial being held. Quebecers cannot tolerate a shutdown procedure in this folder”, she added.

For his part, Amir Khadir, has called the situation “ridiculous”.

“The inability of successive governments to address the unreasonable time-limits could leave Nathalie Normandeau and his co-defendants slip away! His trial should take place, it is our trust in the judicial institutions of the province of Quebec”, said the member for Gouin on his page Facebook, Sunday.

The six suspects are facing various charges of fraud, conspiracy, breach of trust and bribery of public officials that occurred between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2012.

The fault of the prosecution, according to the defence

The defense believes that the rule of a ceiling of 18 months between indictment and the conclusion of actual or anticipated litigation – should apply since the case will eventually be heard by the Court of Québec.

Originally, the trial had to take place before a judge and jury, the superior Court, where a ceiling of 30 months applies. The Crown had then filed an indictment direct, depriving the accused of their right to a preliminary investigation. Because of this maneuver, considered “strategic” by the defence, the accused chose trial by judge alone in the Court of Québec.

When the trial will begin in April, the 18-month time limit has been exceeded since the accused have been pinned by the Unité permanente anti-corruption in march 2016. A delay of 23 months and 20 days have elapsed since the filing of the charges. The defence believes that the Crown by its actions, is solely responsible for this situation. “Any conduct of the defence cannot ensure that sufficient time could be allocated”, it read in its application.