Federal justice minister orders new trial for Quebec man convicted of four murders

Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has ordered a new trial for a Quebec man convicted of four murders in the 1990s.

Fraser said he found reasonable grounds to believe there may have been a miscarriage of justice in the case of Daniel Jolivet.

“As Minister of Justice, I have the authority under the Criminal Code to order a new trial or appeal when new evidence shows a miscarriage of justice likely occurred,” he said in a statement on Friday. “My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts.”

Jolivet was convicted in 1994 of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder, in the shooting deaths of two men and two women in Nov. 1992.

The 69-year-old has always maintained that he is innocent and was released on bail in Dec. 2025 after 33 years in prison.

Fraser said his decision comes after looking at new information that was not before the courts at the time of Jolivet’s trial or appeal.

“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,” he said.

Jolivet’s lawyer, Nicholas St-Jacques of Project Innocence Quebec, has argued the case raises red flags, including doubts about the honesty of the main witness.

Evidence at trial hinged largely on the testimony of an informant, who said Jolivet had confessed to killing the four as part of a settling of scores related to drugs and stolen merchandise.

Jolivet succeeded in having the initial verdict overturned on appeal, but it was reinstated by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2000.

The Quebec Crown prosecutor said in June 2025 that there was reason to believe Jolivet’s lawyers did not have all the evidence needed to defend him at trial.

Jolivet is expected to speak to journalists later on Friday outside Montreal’s courthouse.

By Erika Morris