Claude Paquin, a resident of Quebec who spent 41 years wrongfully accused of a double murder before being acquitted, has reached a significant settlement with Montreal and the provincial government. The agreement was announced jointly by all three parties, aiming to resolve the matter and provide closure for Paquin without the need for a lengthy trial scheduled for this fall.
In 1983, Paquin was convicted of two first-degree murder charges related to the deaths of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah in the Laurentians in 1978. He served 18 years in prison before being released on full parole in 2001 under strict conditions that lasted for the next 23 years. Following a retrial order by the federal justice minister in 2024 due to new case information suggesting a miscarriage of justice, Paquin, now 83, was finally acquitted on November 6, 2024.
Paquin credited his acquittal to the efforts of his legal team from Projet Innocence Québec, highlighting the crucial role they played in overturning the conviction. The case against him heavily relied on the testimony of Bernard Provençal, a prominent police informant, whose credibility was later questioned by Projet Innocence Québec.
Represented by lawyers from 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 that authorities were aware as early as 1983 that the informant’s testimony was false and that any physical evidence tying Paquin to the crime had been manipulated or fabricated.
Describing the case as a “stolen life” and an unjustified deprivation of liberty, Paquin’s legal team argued for compensation for the prolonged injustice he endured. Although the lawsuit sought damages exceeding $89 million, the specific settlement amount remains confidential due to the agreement’s terms. As the lawsuit was settled out of court, no further comments were provided by the involved parties.
