New trial ordered for man convicted on 2 counts of 1st-degree murder in Quebec

Canada's justice minister has ordered a new trial for a man who was convicted in Quebec of two counts of first-degree murder in 1983.

Arif Virani, the federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General, has determined a"miscarriage of justice likely occurred," according to a ministry news release.

Virani's determination comes from the identification of new information that was not submitted to the courts at the time of ClaudePaquin's trial or appeal, calling into question the overall fairness of the process, the release says.

However, the minister's decision is not a determination of Paquin's guilt or innocence.

"It is a decision to return the matter to the courts where the relevant legal issues may be determined according to the law," the release states.

Paquin was sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole for 25 years in 1983.

On Dec. 4, 1987, the Court of Appeal of Quebec dismissed his appeal. On Oct. 27, 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed his application for leave to appeal.

In November 1999, Paquin was granted a reduction in the number of years of imprisonment without eligibility for parole and he is now on full parole.

He submitted his application for criminal conviction review in January 2020.

"All people living in Canada should have confidence that the justice system is there to protect them and that it can be trusted," Virani says in the news release.