The facts of the original case originate from 1995. The woman's name was Jamie Tanis Gladue. She was a 19-year-old Cree woman who stabbed and killed her common-law husband at the time in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Ms. Gladue was extremely intoxicated at the time of the stabbing, double the legal limit, and had a dispute with her partner before the incident. She herself had been a victim of domestic abuse. That was an important factor for the court.
She was charged with second-degree murder but ended up pleading guilty to manslaughter. The judge at the time found that she would benefit significantly from treatments for substance abuse and further counselling and treatment.
It's quite a long history, but that gives you some background to the case itself.