Claude Paquin, a Quebecois who spent 18 years in prison for a double murder he did not commit before being acquitted 41 years later, has agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement with the City of Montreal and the Quebec government. The settlement, announced jointly by the three parties, aims to provide closure to Paquin and avoid a lengthy trial scheduled for this fall.
Originally convicted in 1983 for the murders of Ronald Bourgouin and Sylvie Revah in 1978, Paquin was released on full parole in 2001 but remained under strict conditions for the following 23 years. Following new evidence in the case, a retrial was ordered by the federal justice minister in 2024, leading to Paquin’s acquittal in November of the same year.
Paquin, now 83, credited the work of his legal team from Projet Innocence Québec for his eventual acquittal. The case against him primarily relied on the testimony of Bernard Provençal, a police informant whose credibility was later called into question by Projet Innocence Québec.
Represented by lawyers from Woods LLP, Paquin filed a civil lawsuit in May 2025 against the City of Montreal and the Quebec Attorney General, alleging misconduct by various law enforcement agencies involved in his case. The lawsuit described Paquin’s ordeal as a “stolen life” and sought damages exceeding $89 million, though the exact settlement amount remains confidential due to an agreement clause.
As the lawsuit was resolved through a settlement, the claims were not subjected to a court trial, and the involved parties have chosen not to provide further details or comments on the matter.
