Claude Paquin, a man from Quebec who was wrongly convicted of a double murder and then acquitted 41 years later, has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with the city of Montreal and the provincial government. The agreement was announced by all parties in a joint statement on Friday to avoid a lengthy trial scheduled for this fall.
In 1983, Paquin was found guilty of two first-degree murder charges related to the deaths of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah, a couple who were killed in the Laurentians in 1978. After spending 18 years in prison, he was granted full parole in 2001 under strict conditions that lasted for the next 23 years.
Following new information in the case, the federal justice minister ordered a retrial in 2024, stating that a “miscarriage of justice likely occurred.” Paquin, now 83, was acquitted on November 6, 2024, with credit given to his legal team from Projet Innocence Québec for their efforts.
Paquin, represented by Woods LLP lawyers, filed a civil lawsuit in Quebec Superior Court in May 2025 against Montreal and the Attorney General of Quebec. The lawsuit alleges that police and the prosecution were aware as early as 1983 that the informant’s testimony was false and that any physical evidence linking Paquin to the crime had been manipulated.
The lawsuit describes the case as a “stolen life,” emphasizing the prolonged injustice suffered by Paquin. While seeking damages of over $89 million, the specific settlement amount remains confidential due to an agreement clause. As the lawsuit was settled out of court, the claims were not litigated, and the involved parties declined further comment.
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