Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has ordered a new trial for Daniel Jolivet, a Quebec man who spent 33 years in prison for murders he has consistently denied committing. The decision, announced Friday, follows a federal review that concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe a miscarriage of justice likely occurred in Jolivet's 1994 conviction.
Jolivet was convicted in 1994 of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of two men and two women in Brossard, Que., in 1992. He was released on bail in December 2025, pending the outcome of the federal review.
"My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts," Minister Fraser stated in a news release. "Our responsibility is to make sure Canadians can trust their justice system, and that means, in rare cases, returning cases to the courts for new information to be considered."
The case gained attention as Jolivet steadfastly proclaimed his innocence. His lawyers argued that concerns about the fairness of his initial trial, including doubts about the credibility of a key witness, warranted a deeper review. The Supreme Court of Canada had reinstated his convictions in 2000 after an earlier appeal had succeeded in overturning them. Jolivet and his legal team are expected to address the decision at a news conference later today. The Quebec Crown prosecutor's office will now analyze the evidence to determine its next steps.
