Gabriel Nadeau Dubois acquitted of contemps of court: Cost to the tax payers 30 millions $

Gabriel Nadeau Dubois acquitted of contempt of court

Cost to the tax payer: 30 Millions $

The Court of Appeal acquitted the former student leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois of the charge of contempt of court in connection with the student conflict of spring 2012.

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois was convicted by the Superior Court in November 2012 for comments he made ​​during an interview on air of the Information Network (RDI) when he was spokesman of the broad Coalition for union solidarity student (CLASS).

According to a student from Laval University, Jean-FrançoisMoras,the leader had encouraged students to continue to block access to courses, despite an order of the court. A few days earlier, Jean-François Morasse had obtained an injunction to continue to follow his training despite the student strike.

The lawyer Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois pleaded before the Court of Appeal that there was no evidence that his client knows the existence of the injunction. The three judges of the Court of Appeal prove him right.

"Knowledge of the caller, when it meets on May 13, 2012, the journalist RDI network, the existence of the Order and its content or scope has not been demonstrated, and still less proved beyond a reasonable doubt. In the absence of specific knowledge of the Order, we can not conclude the contravention of the court order, "says the Court of Appealpicketing.:

The judgment also points out that the injunction" do not directly prevent  it prevented the actions of obstruction, that can become excessive picketing ".

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois said he was very relieved by the decision. "There's a huge weight has been removed from my shoulders. Contempt of court is a serious charge, that's a serious charge, and I have always been very aware of the seriousness and importance of the situation. "He was sentenced to 120 hours of community service by the Superior Court.

In the Supreme Court?

Disappointed judgment, counsel for Jean-François Morasse now plans to apply to the Supreme Court. "I will not hide from you that we will consider very seriously the possibility to apply to the Supreme Court. [...] I think it [the Court of Appeal] exercised its control over the decision with too intensive than it was. I think she should have respected the decision of fact made ​​by the trial judge, "says Mr. Maxim Roy.

The lawyer reread the judgment and will meet his client next week before taking décision

http://ici.radio-canada.ca/regions/quebec/2015/01/21/010-nadeau-dubois-acquitte-cour-dappel.shtml