Claude Paquin, a man from Quebec who was wrongly found guilty of a double murder and later acquitted after 41 years, has agreed to a substantial settlement with Montreal and the provincial government.
In a joint statement released on Friday, the City of Montreal and the Attorney General of Quebec announced the settlement. They expressed their hope that this agreement would allow all parties to avoid a lengthy trial scheduled for this fall and assist Mr. Paquin in moving forward from this challenging phase of his life.
Paquin was convicted in 1983 of two first-degree murder charges related to the deaths of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah, a couple who were killed in the Laurentians in 1978. He spent 18 years in prison before being granted full parole in 2001 under strict conditions that lasted for the next 23 years.
In 2024, the federal justice minister ordered a retrial due to new information suggesting a potential miscarriage of justice. Paquin, now 83 years old, was acquitted on November 6, 2024.
Paquin credited his lawyers from Projet Innocence Québec for his acquittal, highlighting the crucial role they played in his case. The conviction against Paquin heavily relied on the testimony of Bernard Provençal, a well-known police informant. However, Projet Innocence Québec uncovered evidence over the years that raised doubts about his credibility.
Represented by lawyers at Woods LLP, Paquin filed a multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit in Quebec Superior Court in May 2025 against the City of Montreal and the Attorney General of Quebec. The lawsuit alleged failures by their agents, including the Montreal police, the Sûreté du Québec, and the Quebec Crown prosecutor’s office. It claimed that police and the prosecution were aware as early as 1983 that the informant’s testimony was false and that any physical evidence linking Paquin to the crime had been manipulated.
Paquin’s lawyers described the case as not just a miscarriage of justice but a narrative of a life unjustly taken away, extending well beyond the prison bars. The lawsuit highlighted Paquin’s enduring record for the lengthiest unjustified deprivation of liberty documented in Quebec.
While the lawsuit sought damages exceeding $89 million, the specific settlement amount remains undisclosed due to a confidentiality agreement among the parties involved. As the lawsuit was resolved without going to court, the claims were not subjected to legal scrutiny, and the parties have chosen not to provide further comments.