OTTAWA / MONTREAL — Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has ordered a new trial for Daniel Jolivet, the Quebec man who was convicted in 1994 of four homicides committed in November 1992 and who was granted bail in December 2025 after spending 33 years in prison.
Minister cites new information and public confidence
In a statement Friday, Fraser said he found reasonable grounds to believe a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in Jolivet’s case, a threshold under the Criminal Code that allows the minister to send matters back to court when significant new evidence surfaces. Fraser emphasized that his decision does not determine guilt or innocence, which will be decided by the courts.
“My decision does not decide guilt or innocence, as that will rest with the courts,”
Jolivet, 69, has consistently maintained his innocence. When he appeared at the Montreal courthouse with his lawyer on Friday, he described the minister’s order as restoring his freedom and an opportunity to clear his name.
Next steps for prosecutors and defence
Quebec’s Crown prosecutor’s office said it will review the material to decide whether to proceed with the prosecution, noting that with the minister’s order the legal positions of both sides revert to what they were before the 1994 verdict and Jolivet again benefits from the presumption of innocence.
- Jolivet was convicted in 1994 of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder tied to shootings in November 1992.
- He spent 33 years in custody before being released on bail in December 2025 pending a federal review.
- The minister’s authority permits ordering a new trial when new information not considered at the original trial or appeal suggests a miscarriage of justice.
The decision follows an earlier federal finding that there were reasonable grounds to believe a miscarriage of justice could have occurred and the referral of the matter to the Criminal Conviction Review Panel for investigation, a step that made him eligible for bail last year.
Local impact and legal context
The order for a new trial will require the Crown to determine whether continuing the prosecution is in the public interest, a process likely to include consulting with police and reviewing any new evidence that prompted the minister’s intervention. For Jolivet and his supporters, the minister’s action is a dramatic reversal of decades of finality after the original verdict and an opening for the courts to reassess the case.
| Key dates | Event |
|---|---|
| November 1992 | Shooting deaths of two men and two women |
| 1994 | Jolivet convicted on four counts of murder |
| December 2025 | Released on bail after 33 years in custody; federal review launched |
| July 17, 2026 | Justice minister orders new trial |
The Crown’s eventual decision — to proceed to trial, stay proceedings, or seek other resolutions — will be closely watched in Quebec and nationally because ministerial referrals for new trials are rare and touch on wider questions about the reliability of convictions from decades past.
Daniel Jolivet is represented by defence counsel associated with Project Innocence Quebec, who has argued that he is not the person who committed the offences. With the minister’s order, the courts will now be asked to review the matter anew, guided by any evidence that was not before the trial or appeal in the 1990s.
Further procedural steps, including any formal filings by the Crown and scheduling for the new proceedings, have not yet been announced.
