IPLAI Great Trials: The Trial of Jocelyn Hotte
John H. Gomery, retired Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
The Trial of Jocelyn Hotte
After a brief description of the often overlooked role of the Judge who presides at a criminal jury trial, the presenter will relate the circumstances leading up to the murder trial of Jocelyn Hotte, an R.C.M.P. officer who on June 23, 2001, killed his paramour after a dramatic car chase on the Metropolitan Boulevard in Montreal during which the victim's cries for help were recorded by the Montreal Police. The trial was preceded by a voir dire concerning the admissibility of the recording and of various witness's testimony, which raised certain legal issues. At trial, the accused took the position that he could not be held guilty of murder because his mental state did not permit him to form the intention necessary to a finding of murder; this necessitated complicated instuctions to the jury in the face of conflicting testimony by medical experts; all this during intense media coverage, probably the most the presenter had until then experienced.
About The Great Trials
IPLAI's Great Trials lecture series considers a collection of history-making trials across time and examines the social and political contexts in which they took place as well as their cultural consequences. The series takes the position that ‘law’ happens as much outside the courtroom as it does within it, and that each of these pivotal events stands as testament to the ways in which constructions of authority, law, and justice have informed cultural consciousness across centuries.
IPLAI is pleased to offer the lectures in this series for CLE credit through the Barreau du Québec.
Where: Westmount Library, 4574 Sherbrooke St. W.
When: All lectures will begin at 5:30pm
Registration fees: $15 for individual lectures. Registration at the door the day of each lecture may be possible, but places will be limited and we cannot guarantee that seats will be available. Cheques only, payable to McGill University. We will be unable to accept cash at the door.
