Victims' families willing to wait for justice as mosque shooter's sentencing delayed

Families of the six men who died in the Quebec City mosque shooting said they will wait as long as it takes to ensure their loved ones get justice.

The judge presiding over the sentencing hearing for Alexandre Bissonnette, who pleaded guilty to six counts of first-degree murder in March, said he needs more information before he can render his sentence.

Quebec Superior Court Justice François Huot called both parties back to court Friday morning to explain the reasons why he could not sentence Bissonnette on Oct. 29, as planned, and would likely reschedule at the end of January 2019.

Bissonnette was inside the Quebec City courtroom, as were several family members of the victims.

Amir Belkacemi, the son of Université Laval professor Khaled Belkacemi, said while the families were getting prepared for Oct. 29, they are also getting used to the complexity of the criminal justice system.

"I think ultimately we still have confidence in this justice system, and especially in Judge Huot's judgment," Belkacemi said.

Nearly two years after the shooting, Belkacemi said a few more months will not change much for the families who are grieving their loved ones.

"What is important to us is that justice will be served, and this is what really matters to us, it's not a question of time," he said.

"We're lucky we still have time [ahead] of us."​

Bissonnette opened fire on a room full of Muslim men and boys after prayers at a Quebec City mosque on Jan. 29, 2017, killing the six men and injuring another 19 people.

The possibility that sentencing could fall very close to the two-year anniversary of the shooting is something the families are thinking about, Belkacemi said, given the month of January will already be very emotional.

"But I think for us, for the families, for every Canadian who is waiting for justice, the sooner will be the better."

Belkacemi also said given the complexity and significance of this case, families are expecting an appeal, and several more years of legal proceedings.

Judge has more questions

Huot said he had two more questions of law he wanted the lawyers to argue on, before he could make a decision.

The Crown is asking that Bissonnette be sentenced to life in prison, without eligibility for parole for 150 years, 25 years for each count of first-degree murder he has pleaded guilty to.

During sentencing arguments, prosecutor Thomas Jacques called Bissonnette's crime one of the most heinous acts ever to take place on Canadian soil.

But Bissonnette's lawyers, on the other hand, argued he showed potential for rehabilitation, and should be allowed apply for parole after 25 years.

Huot said each side left him with a "mammoth" volume of documents to review.

The judge said after going through additional material, he was left with questions as to whether he could only break down the eligibility periods into 25-year chunks, as both parties had suggested.

"I have serious doubts about that," Huot said in court.

Huot also asked defence lawyer Charles-Olivier Gosselin to revisit his arguments surrounding the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In April, Gosselin argued that even 50 years in prison would be equivalent to a death sentence for Bissonnette, since he would be 77 years old before his earliest parole eligibility.

Huot said if he followed the lawyer's reasoning, he would have to hand out a different sentence if Bissonnette had been 17 when he committed the crime, because he would have been younger when he came up for parole, and thus younger at the expiration of the sentence.

Huot said that could be considered discriminatory, and asked Gosselin to review whether basing his decision on Bissonnette's age could be considered discriminatory under section 15 of the Charter.

The judge asked the Crown and the defence to return on Nov. 21 to present further arguments. He will announce the new date for Bissonnette's sentencing at that time.