Meurtre (infraction)

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• < Droit pénal
• < Infractions
• < Homicide

Murder
Art. 235 du Code criminel
élection / plaidoyer
choix du mode de poursuite	acte d’accusation
Jurisdiction	Sup. Court w/ Jury (*) Sup. Court w/ Judge-alone (*) * Preliminary inquiry also available.
disposition des actes d'accusation
dispositions disponible	Absolutions (730) Peine avec sursis (731(1)(a)) Amende (734) Très bien + Probation (731(1)(b)) Prison (718.3, 787) Prison + Probation (731(1)(b)) Prison + Très bien (734) Octroi du sursis (742.1)
minimum	life incarcération
maximum	Vie
Référence
Éléments d'infraction résumé des cas de la peine

Aperçu

Les infractions relatives à murder se retrouvent dans la partie VIII du Code Criminel concernant les « Atteintes contre la personne et la réputation ».

Plaidoiries

Article d'infraction	Type d'infractions	Choix du mode de poursuite	Élection de la défense l'art. 536(2)	Enquête préliminaire
art. 235 [meurtre au premier ou au deuxième degré]	Infraction(s) criminelle(s)			(durée de vie maximale)

Les infractions visées à l'article art. 235 [meurtre au premier ou au deuxième degré] sont des infractions de compétence exclusive en vertu de l'article 469 et ne peuvent donc pas être jugées par un juge de la cour provinciale. Elles sont présumées être jugées par un juge et un jury.

Avant que la Couronne puisse invoquer les dispositions augmentant la durée de l'ordonnance d'interdiction d'armes en raison d'une ordonnance d'interdiction d'armes antérieure, un avis en vertu de l'article 727 doit être donné "avant" le plaidoyer.

LibérerWhere an accused is charged with any offence listed in s. 469 [including 235], he will be remanded under s. 515(11). The accused may only be released by a superior court judge under s. 522.

Interdictions de publication

Pour toutes les poursuites pénales ou réglementaires, il existe une interdiction générale discrétionnaire de publication, à la demande de la Couronne, de la victime ou du témoin, afin d'interdire la publication de "toute information susceptible d'identifier la victime ou le témoin" en vertu de l'article 486.5(1), lorsque cela est "nécessaire" à la "bonne administration de la justice". D'autres interdictions de publication sont possibles, notamment l'interdiction de publier des preuves ou d'autres informations résultant d'une audience de mise en liberté sous caution (article 517), d'une enquête préliminaire (article 539) ou d'un procès avec jury (article 648). Dans toutes les poursuites intentées contre des adolescents, il existe une interdiction obligatoire de publier les renseignements qui tendent à identifier les jeunes accusés en vertu de l'article 110 de la LSJPA ou les jeunes victimes en vertu de l'article 111 de la LSJPA.

Désignations d'infraction

Infraction(s)	Admissible à l'écoute électronique l'art. 183	Infraction désignée comme délinquant dangereux l'art. 752	Sévices graves à la personne l'art. 752	Consentement du procureur général requis	Infraction criminelle grave l'art. 36 LIPR
art. 235 [meurtre au premier ou au deuxième degré]		(primary)

Les infractions en vertu de l'art. art. 235 sont infractions désignées admissibles à l'écoute électronique en vertu de l'art. 183.

Voir ci-dessous Ordres de condamnation annexes pour plus de détails sur les désignations relatives aux ordres de condamnation.

Libellé de l'infraction

Murder, Manslaughter and Infanticide

Murder

229 Culpable homicide is murder

(a) where the person who causes the death of a human being

(i) means to cause his death, or

(ii) means to cause him bodily harm that he knows is likely to cause his death, and is reckless whether death ensues or not;

(b) where a person, meaning to cause death to a human being or meaning to cause him bodily harm that he knows is likely to cause his death, and being reckless whether death ensues or not, by accident or mistake causes death to another human being, notwithstanding that he does not mean to cause death or bodily harm to that human being; or

(c) if a person, for an unlawful object, does anything that they know is likely to cause death, and by doing so causes the death of a human being, even if they desire to effect their object without causing death or bodily harm to any human being.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 229; 2019, c. 25, s. 77.
[annotation(s) ajoutée(s)]

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Classification of murder

231 (1) Murder is first degree murder or second degree murder.

Planned and deliberate murder

(2) Murder is first degree murder when it is planned and deliberate.
[omis (3), (4), (5), (6), (6.01), (6.1) and (6.2)]

Second degree murder

(7) All murder that is not first degree murder is second degree murder.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 231; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), ss. 7, 35, 40, 185(F), c. 1 (4th Supp.), s. 18(F); 1997, c. 16, s. 3, c. 23, s. 8; 2001, c. 32, s. 9, c. 41, s. 9; 2009, c. 22, s. 5.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Punishment for murder

235 (1) Every one who commits first degree murder or second degree murder is guilty of an indictable offence and shall be sentenced to imprisonment for life.

Minimum punishment

(2) For the purposes of Part XXIII [Pt. XXIII – Détermination de la peine (art. 716 à 751.1)], the sentence of imprisonment for life prescribed by this section is a minimum punishment.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 218; 1973-74, c. 38, s. 3; 1974-75-76, c. 105, s. 5.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Imprisonment for Life

Sentence of life imprisonment

745 Subject to section 745.1 [condamnation pour meurtre – moins de 18 ans – instruction], the sentence to be pronounced against a person who is to be sentenced to imprisonment for life shall be

(a) in respect of a person who has been convicted of high treason or first degree murder, that the person be sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole until the person has served twenty-five years of the sentence;

(b) in respect of a person who has been convicted of second degree murder where that person has previously been convicted of culpable homicide that is murder, however described in this Act, that that person be sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole until the person has served twenty-five years of the sentence;

(b.1) in respect of a person who has been convicted of second degree murder where that person has previously been convicted of an offence under section 4 or 6 of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act that had as its basis an intentional killing, whether or not it was planned and deliberate, that that person be sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole until the person has served twenty-five years of the sentence;

(c) in respect of a person who has been convicted of second degree murder, that the person be sentenced to imprisonment for life without eligibility for parole until the person has served at least ten years of the sentence or such greater number of years, not being more than twenty-five years, as has been substituted therefor pursuant to section 745.4; and

[omis (d)]

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 745; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (2nd Supp.), s. 10; 1990, c. 17, s. 14; 1992, c. 51, s. 39; 1995, c. 22, s. 6; 2000, c. 24, s. 46.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Draft Form of Charges

		Préambules
		"QUE [nom complet de l'accusé] est accusé d'avoir, entre le <DATE> jour de <MOIS>, <ANNÉE> et le <DATE> jour de <MOIS>, <ANNÉE>***, à ou près de <COMMUNAUTÉ/VILLE/VILLE>, <PROVINCE>, ... " OU
		« QUE [nom complet de l'accusé] est accusé d'avoir, le ou vers le <DATE> jour de <MOIS>, <ANNÉE>, à ou près de <COMMUNAUTÉ/VILLE/VILLE>, <PROVINCE>, ... » OU
		"ET DE PLUS, au même moment et au même endroit précités, il [ou elle]..."
Article du Code	Objet de l'infraction	Projet de libellé
235	first degree murder	"..., did cause the death of [person] and thereby commit murder in the first degree, à savoir : [comportement], contrairement à l'art. 235 du « Code criminel ».
235	second degree murder	"..., did cause the death of [person] and thereby commit murder in the second degree, à savoir : [comportement], contrairement à l'art. 235 du « Code criminel ».

Preuve de l'infraction

Prouver murder selon l'art. 229(a) doit inclure : ☐ identité de l'accusé comme coupable ☐ date et heure de l'incident ☐ juridiction (y compris la région et la province) ☐ the accused does anything that causes death; and ☐ the accused either had: ☐ an intent to cause death or ☐ an intent to cause bodily harm that the accused knew was likely to cause death and was reckless as to whether death ensues or not.

Prouver transferred intent murder selon l'art. 229(b) doit inclure : ☐ identité de l'accusé comme coupable ☐ date et heure de l'incident ☐ juridiction (y compris la région et la province) ☐ the culprit means: ☐ to cause death to a person or ☐ to cause bodily harm that he knows is likely to cause death to a person; and ☐ the culprit is reckless to whether death ensues ☐ the culprit causes death by accident or mistake of a different person

Prouver unlawful act murder selon l'art. 229(c) doit inclure : ☐ identité de l'accusé comme coupable ☐ date et heure de l'incident ☐ juridiction (y compris la région et la province) ☐ the culprit does a dangerous act ☐ the act is for an unlawful object ☐ he knows that the act is likely to cause death (knowledge or forethought) ☐ the unlawful act causes death

First Degree Murder

Proof of the element of "planned and deliberate", or any of the specific elements of 231(3),(4),(5),(6.01),(6.1), and (6.2), are necessary to make out first degree murder. Without this element, second degree murder is made out.

Section 582 requires the indictment specially indications the charge of first degree murder before there can be a conviction for first degree murder.

Constitutionality

The portion of s. 229(c) that states "ought to know" is unconstitutional and is of no force or effect to the provision.

Section 230 was found unconstitutional because first degree murder cannot be less than objective foresight of death.

Murder

First degree and second degree murder are not separate offences. Section 231, defining first degree murder, is "purely a classification section and does not create a separate substantive offence." The distinction is only for the purpose of sentencing. First degree murder is an "aggravated form of murder and not a distinct substantive offence."

The offence of murder under s. 235 is an exclusive jurisdiction offence, and so cannot be tried before a provincial court judge.

Causation

See Causation of Death

Intent

Both types of murder require one of three categories of requisite intent set out in s.229:

1. the culprit causes death and "means to cause death"; (s. 229(a)(i))
2. the culprit causes death and "means to cause him bodily harm that he knows is likely to cause his death, and is reckless whether death ensues or not". (s. 229(a)(ii))
3. the culprit causes death but does so by accident or mistake, while at some point during the act forms a meaning set out above in 229(a)(i) or 229(a)(ii). (s.229(b))
4. causes death while pursuing an "unlawful object" that "he knows or ought to know is likely to cause death". (s.229(c))

The necessary intent for murder requires proving a subjective foresight of death.

The requisite intent does not need to be simultaneous to the act that causes death. The two must coincide with the "transaction" that forms the substance of the killing. The intent does not need to be present throughout the acts or series of actions or events.

An accused may still be convicted if he does not know the victim's identity or is mistaken as to the victim's identity.

Foreseeable Death (s. 229(a)(ii))

The Crown must prove that the accused had actual subjective forsight of the victim's death as a "probable consequence" of the assault.

The phrase "is reckless whether death ensues or not" has been characterized as "largely redundant."

Section 229(b)

Section 229(b) has the same requirements as s. 229(a) except that it applies where the conduct and intent was directed at a third party and the victim was killed by accident or mistake. This effectively creates a form of transferred intent for murder.

Planned and Deliberate (s. 231(2))

• Planned and Deliberate

Murder by Unlawful Act or Object (s. 229(c) and 231(3) to (6))

• Murder by Unlawful Act or Object

Lesser Included Offences

662
[omis (1)]

First degree murder charged

(2) For greater certainty and without limiting the generality of subsection (1) [infraction imputée, prouvée en partie seulement], where a count charges first degree murder and the evidence does not prove first degree murder but proves second degree murder or an attempt to commit second degree murder, the jury may find the accused not guilty of first degree murder but guilty of second degree murder or an attempt to commit second degree murder, as the case may be.

Conviction for infanticide or manslaughter on charge of murder

(3) Subject to subsection (4) [condamnation pour dissimulation du corps d'un enfant en cas d'accusation de meurtre ou d'infanticide], where a count charges murder and the evidence proves manslaughter or infanticide but does not prove murder, the jury may find the accused not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter or infanticide, but shall not on that count find the accused guilty of any other offence.
[omis (4), (5) and (6)]
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 662; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 134; 2000, c. 2, s. 3; 2008, c. 6, s. 38; 2018, c. 21, s. 20.
[annotation(s) ajoutée(s)]

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Where the Crown proves an intent to kill but fails to prove causation, the lesser included offence of attempted murder is available.

Res Judicata

Circumstances of aggravation

610
[omis (1)]

Effect of previous charge of murder or manslaughter

(2) A conviction or an acquittal on an indictment for murder bars a subsequent indictment for the same homicide charging it as manslaughter or infanticide, and a conviction or acquittal on an indictment for manslaughter or infanticide bars a subsequent indictment for the same homicide charging it as murder.

Previous charges of first degree murder

(3) A conviction or an acquittal on an indictment for first degree murder bars a subsequent indictment for the same homicide charging it as second degree murder, and a conviction or acquittal on an indictment for second degree murder bars a subsequent indictment for the same homicide charging it as first degree murder.
[omis (4)]
R.S., c. C-34, s. 538; 1973-74, c. 38, s. 5; 1974-75-76, c. 105, s. 9.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Manslaughter

• see Manslaughter (Offence)

Proof of Death

Death occurs once the vital functions and organs irreversibly cease to operate.

The Crown must prove as an essential element that the victim is dead. In most cases this is a trivial fact. It is only in murder cases with a missing body that there may be an issue in proving the element.

There is no rule requiring that body be found in order to prove a homicide.

Special Procedure

High treason and first degree murder

582 No person shall be convicted for the offence of high treason or first degree murder unless in the indictment charging the offence he is specifically charged with that offence.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 511; 1973-74, c. 38, s. 4; 1974-75-76, c. 105, s. 6.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Joinder or Severance of Counts

Count for murder

589 No count that charges an indictable offence other than murder shall be joined in an indictment to a count that charges murder unless

(a) the count that charges the offence other than murder arises out of the same transaction as a count that charges murder; or

(b) the accused signifies consent to the joinder of the counts.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 589; 1991, c. 4, s. 2.

– CCC (CanLII), (Jus.)

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Defences

The statutory defence of duress is excluded by s. 17 from applying to offences of murder.

The argument of excessive use of force in self-defence does not reduce murder to manslaughter.

Participation de tiers

Aides au témoignage

Certaines personnes qui témoignent ont le droit de demander l'utilisation d'aides au témoignage: Exclusion of Public (l'art. 486), Utilisation d'un écran de témoignage (l'art. 486), Accès à une personne de soutien pendant le témoignage (l'art. 486.1), Témoignage par lien vidéo à proximité (l'art. 486.2), Ordonnance d’interdiction de contre-interrogatoire par autoreprésentation (l'art. 486.3), et Ordonnance de sécurité des témoins (l'art. 486.7).

Un témoin, une victime ou un plaignant peut également demander une interdiction de publication (art. 486.4, 486.5) et/ou une ordonnance de non-divulgation de l'identité du témoin (art. 486.31). Voir également Interdictions de publication, ci-dessus ici.

Sur le constat de culpabilité

Article(s)	Avis d'entente à la victime l'art. 606(4.1) [SPIO]	La victime est interrogée sur son intérêt pour l'accord l'art. 606(4.2) [5+ ans]	Avis d'entente à la dédommagement l'art. 737.1	Avis de déclaration d'impact à la victime l'art. 722(2)
art. 235 [meurtre au premier ou au deuxième degré]

Sous l'art. 738, un juge doit demander au ministère public avant de prononcer la peine si « des mesures raisonnables ont été prises pour donner aux victimes la possibilité d'indiquer si elles demandent restitution pour leurs pertes et dommages ».

Sous l'art. 722(2), le juge doit demander « dès que possible » avant de prononcer la peine auprès de la Couronne « si des mesures raisonnables ont été prises pour donner à la victime la possibilité de préparer » une déclaration de la victime . Cela comprendra toute personne « qui a subi, ou est soupçonnée d'avoir subi, un préjudice physique ou émotionnel, un dommage matériel ou une perte économique » à la suite de l'infraction. Les individus représentant une communauté touchée par le crime peuvent déposer une déclaration en vertu de l'art. 722.2.

Principes et fourchettes de détermination des peines

• Sentencing for Murder

Historique

2001 to 2009

Classification of murder

231 (1) Murder is first degree murder or second degree murder.

Planned and deliberate murder

(2) Murder is first degree murder when it is planned and deliberate.

Contracted murder

(3) Without limiting the generality of subsection (2), murder is planned and deliberate when it is committed pursuant to an arrangement under which money or anything of value passes or is intended to pass from one person to another, or is promised by one person to another, as consideration for that other’s causing or assisting in causing the death of anyone or counselling another person to do any act causing or assisting in causing that death.

Murder of peace officer, etc.

(4) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder when the victim is

(a) a police officer, police constable, constable, sheriff, deputy sheriff, sheriff’s officer or other person employed for the preservation and maintenance of the public peace, acting in the course of his duties;

(b) a warden, deputy warden, instructor, keeper, jailer, guard or other officer or a permanent employee of a prison, acting in the course of his duties; or

(c) a person working in a prison with the permission of the prison authorities and acting in the course of his work therein.

Hijacking, sexual assault or kidnapping

(5) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder in respect of a person when the death is caused by that person while committing or attempting to commit an offence under one of the following sections:

(a) section 76 (hijacking an aircraft);

(b) section 271 (sexual assault);

(c) section 272 (sexual assault with a weapon, threats to a third party or causing bodily harm);

(d) section 273 (aggravated sexual assault);

(e) section 279 (kidnapping and forcible confinement); or

(f) section 279.1 (hostage taking).

Criminal harassment

(6) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of any person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused by that person while committing or attempting to commit an offence under section 264 and the person committing that offence intended to cause the person murdered to fear for the safety of the person murdered or the safety of anyone known to the person murdered.

Murder during terrorist activity

(6.01) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of a person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused while committing or attempting to commit an indictable offence under this or any other Act of Parliament where the act or omission constituting the offence also constitutes a terrorist activity.

Using explosives in association with criminal organization

(6.1) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of a person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused while committing or attempting to commit an offence under section 81 for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a criminal organization.

Intimidation

(6.2) Irrespective of whether a murder is planned and deliberate on the part of a person, murder is first degree murder when the death is caused while committing or attempting to commit an offence under section 423.1.

Second degree murder

(7) All murder that is not first degree murder is second degree murder.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 231; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), ss. 7, 35, 40, 185(F), c. 1 (4th Supp.), s. 18(F); 1997, c. 16, s. 3, c. 23, s. 8; 2001, c. 32, s. 9, c. 41, s. 9.

– CCC

Voir également

• Homicide (Trial Verdicts)

References

• Pre-Trial and Trial Motions Checklist