Judge grants bail to Quebec man as 1994 murder conviction under review

MONTREAL — A man who has spent 33 years behind bars for four murders was granted bail Friday after concerns were raised earlier this year about the fairness of his initial trial.

Daniel Jolivet was in tears as Quebec Superior Court Justice Lyne Décarie announced on Friday at the Montreal courthouse that he would be released from prison pending the outcome of the federal review over a possible miscarriage of justice.

Jolivet, who has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, displayed more tears as he spoke to reporters after exiting the Montreal courthouse in the evening, making clear “the fight is not over.” He hoped for a quick review and decision from the federal government in his case.

Jolivet, 68, was asked if he saw his release as an early Christmas gift as his granddaughter had told reporters earlier in the afternoon.

“It’s not a gift that they gave to me, you know, the judge … she set me free on bail, but what gift is there after 33 years there?,” Jolivet said. “You should have given me that gift in the first week when I was saying I’m innocent, (and) you didn’t believe me.”

Décarie told Jolivet that her decision would have a significant impact but she had never seen such a “robust” plan for release, which gave her hope.

“Reintegration into society will not be easy after so many years of incarceration; things have changed a lot in 33 years, but you are fortunate to have many people who support you and are there to help you,” Décarie said.

A one-day bail hearing was held this week where Jolivet’s lawyer outlined a release plan and the Crown said it did not oppose his release.

Seeking bail became possible as of October, when the federal government announced there were reasonable grounds to believe a miscarriage of justice had occurred in the case and the Justice Department’s criminal conviction review group will investigate.

In June, the Quebec Crown wrote to Jolivet’s lawyer to say it had reviewed the case and found reasonable grounds to conclude that the accused did not receive a fair and equitable trial and that key pieces of evidence were not disclosed to the accused.

Jolivet was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder in 1994 in Brossard, Que., south of Montreal, in the shooting deaths of two men and two women in November 1992.

Jolivet succeeded in having the initial verdict overturned on appeal, but it was reinstated by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2000. He had tried to have the case reviewed by the federal justice minister, but was denied numerous times until the letter this year from Quebec’s prosecution service.

Décarie also had a message for the families of the victims, for whom the latest development will be difficult as they await a decision from Ottawa.

“I can only encourage those in charge of the investigation to act as quickly as possible without making any promises,” the judge said.

After the judge read her decision, Jolivet’s lawyer Nicholas St-Jacques told reporters his client will finally be able to “breathe outside” after 33 years in prison. “For Mr. Jolivet … he’ll have a real life, to have a life with people whom he loves, to be able to enjoy the small little things that we enjoy everyday.”

St-Jacques said he had been working on the case for 17 years.

“This is probably the best day of my career,” he said.

Prosecutor Lina Thériault said both the Crown and defence had consented to have Jolivet released pending the review of his case.

St-Jacques said that review could take between 18 months and five years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2025.