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Top military judge to face court martial overseen by deputy this summer

Jan 25, 2019 | 12:15 PM

OTTAWA — Canada’s chief military judge is set to be tried in a court martial this spring that will be overseen by his own deputy.

Col. Mario Dutil was charged last year in relation to allegations that he engaged in a consensual but inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and knowingly signed a travel claim containing false information.

The eight charges against him include two counts of fraud and four related to conduct or neglect to the prejudice of good order and discipline. None of the charges has been tested in court.

Given the unprecedented nature of the case, it hasn’t been clear how it would proceed, including whether one of the three other military judges Dutil oversees would end up hearing the case against him.

Military spokesman Maj. Doug Keirstead confirmed deputy chief military judge Lt.-Col. Louis-Vincent d’Auteuil has been tapped to preside over the court martial, with pre-trial motions starting in April before the formal trial in early June.

A special prosecutor was called in last year to review the military-police investigation and decide whether to recommend charges to ensure that there was no perception of bias.

The Canadian Press


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