Justice Minister orders appeal review of Saskatchewan sisters' murder convictions
Federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser has directed an appeal court to re-examine the 1994 murder convictions of Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance.
Sean Fraser, Canada’s federal Justice Minister, announced that an appeal court will revisit the 1994 second-degree murder convictions of Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance from Saskatchewan. The sisters, now in their early fifties, were sentenced for the stabbing death of 70-year-old farmer Anthony Dolff near Kamsack, a case they have consistently maintained was wrongful. Fraser cited newly uncovered information that was not presented at trial or during the earlier appeal, indicating a possible miscarriage of justice.
Their defense, led by James Lockyer, highlighted alleged racial bias, the presence of a police station full of white officers, and the lack of audio or video recordings of their statements. In early 2023, Justice Donald Layh granted the sisters bail, echoing those concerns. The case had already been reviewed by the federal Justice Department in 2022, which found reasonable grounds to question the convictions.
Why it matters
The review could overturn decades-old convictions, highlighting systemic issues in Canada’s justice system.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report that the justice minister has ordered a new appeal, citing a likely miscarriage of justice, but left-leaning coverage foregrounds claims of wrongful conviction and racial bias, while centrist coverage emphasizes the minister’s in-depth review and the finding of reasonable grounds.
LEFT
Frames the story around the sisters’ claim of wrongful conviction and alleged racial bias in the original trial
CENTER
Frames the story as the minister’s acknowledgment of a likely miscarriage of justice and the procedural basis for a new appeal
The left emphasises
- possible miscarriage of justice
- alleged racial bias
- lack of audio or video recordings of statements
In this story
