MONTREAL -- André Boisclair was notably absent Thursday morning at the Montreal courthouse as his lawyer announced he was waiving his right to a preliminary inquiry.
The former leader of the Parti Québécois (PQ) is involved in two separate trials of sexual charges against two alleged victims who cannot be identified because of publication bans.
In the first case, he faces two charges, sexual assault with the participation of a third party and sexual assault with a weapon.
The events allegedly occurred in January 2014.
Boisclair has pleaded not guilty to the charges, for which he faces up to 14 years in prison.
The 55-year-old accused, as well as the alleged victim, would have had to appear in court if there was a preliminary inquiry.
Crown Prosecutor Luc Pagé notes skipping this stage lifts a burden off the shoulders of the alleged victim.
"The defence has admitted that if the alleged victim had come to testify, there would have been enough evidence to go to trial," he explained. "It is always good news for a complainant who is a victim of sexual assault to minimize his or her time in court and to minimize the amount of testimony he or she gives."
In the second case, Boisclair faces a sexual assault charge that allegedly occurred in November 2015, involving another complainant.
He will also go directly to trial in this case.
"Because of the nature of the charges, there is no statutory preliminary hearing. The crime of sexual assault is punishable by 10 years in prison. By law, there is no preliminary inquiry possible, so it goes directly to trial in this case. So both files are now at the trial stage," said Pagé.
Boisclair's lawyer, Michel Massicotte, said his client preferred to be tried before a judge alone rather than be subjected to a jury.
Both cases have been postponed to Nov. 18. The trials will not take place before 2022.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Sept. 30, 2021.
