89-year-old retired Quebec Judge Jacques Delisle, who pleaded guilty in his wife’s death, passes away
Jacques Delisle, a retired Quebec judge who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in his wife’s shooting death, has passed away at the age of 89.
The Court of Appeal of Quebec released a statement on Monday confirming Delisle’s death. He served on the province’s highest court from 1992 until his retirement in 2009.
Delisle spent almost nine years in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder and receiving a life sentence for the 2009 shooting death of his wife, Marie Nicole Rainville.
However, he was released in 2021 after the federal justice minister determined that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred in the case. Delisle was then ordered to stand trial again.
The retired judge pleaded guilty to manslaughter in March, avoiding a second trial. His lawyer informed the court that his client did not shoot Rainville but caused her death by leaving a loaded gun next to her at her request.
The Superior Court sentenced Delisle to eight years and 311 days in prison, nearly all of which he had served after his conviction in 2012. Delisle walked free after spending a few hours in detention.
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Defence lawyer Jacques Larochelle explained to the court in March that Rainville had been grappling with the effects of a stroke that had left her partially paralyzed and a broken hip that had taken away her independence and joy in life.
During his trial, the prosecution claimed that Delisle shot his wife to avoid a costly divorce and to move in with his former secretary, with whom he was having an affair.
In its announcement concerning Delisle’s passing, the Court of Appeal described the “renowned jurist” as a staunch defender of the French language in legal writing. The statement also praised the quality of his rulings, indicating his true dedication to the law.
