Former Quebec judge Jacques Delisle pleads guilty to manslaughter

Former Quebec judge Jacques Delisle pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter in the death of his wife in 2009.

Delisle, who is believed to be the first Canadian judge to ever stand trial for murder, was convicted in 2012 of fatally shooting his wife, Marie Nicole Rainville.

The verdict was largely based on the testimony of a pathologist who said that the bullet's trajectory through the victim's brain made it difficult to support a theory of suicide.

Delisle was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

The 88-year-old former Quebec Court of Appeal judge spent nine years behind bars before then-federal justice minister David Lametti ordered a new trial in 2021 after reviewing evidence and concluding a miscarriage of justice had likely occurred.

Delisle's lawyers successfully argued in April 2022 that a retrial would be impossible because of errors in the previous pathology report and unreasonable delays.

However, the Court of Appeal reversed the decision to grant a stay and paved the way for a new trial.

The Supreme Court of Canada was expected to decide on Thursday whether it would hear Delisle's appeal of that decision.

• LISTEN on CJAD 800 Radio: Quebec judge to be tried for murder pleads guilty to a different charge

'Took her own life'

Rainville's death follows a 2007 stroke that left her paralyzed on one side. She was also recovering from a broken hip.

Delisle's original version of events stated that his wife was depressed and took her own life using a gun found next to her body.

Thursday, Crown prosecutor François Godin insisted there was still a belief that Delisle was an active participant in his wife's death.

However, defence lawyer Jacques Larochelle pointed out that Delisle's children were in the courtroom to support their father.

He reiterated that Rainville had apparently expressed a desire to die due to her inability to care for herself.

Larochelle claims she convinced Delisle to leave his loaded .22 gun next to her.

In response to Delisle's guilty plea, the Crown had suggested a sentence of eight years and 311 days minus eight years and 310 days, considering his age and the time already spent in prison.

That would leave one day of detention.

Meanwhile, the defence argued that though Delisle was "negligent" in leaving a loaded weapon next to a suicidal person, the time served is "more than sufficient."

Thursday morning, the judge agreed that the Crown's suggestion was considered justice for the crime committed.

Delisle will serve one more day to complete his sentence.

He has been banned from owning firearms and must provide a DNA sample to Quebec City police (SPVQ).

-- with files from The Canadian Press.