Manitoba man acquitted after 50 years in wrongful murder conviction tied to systemic discrimination

After nearly half a century, Clarence Woodhouse, a Manitoba man wrongfully convicted of murder in 1974, has been formally acquitted by the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, marking the end of one of Canada’s longest-running miscarriages of justice.

Woodhouse had been found guilty of fatally beating and stabbing a restaurant worker in downtown Winnipeg five decades ago. His lawyers argued that the confession attributed to him could not have been genuine, as it was recorded in fluent English, a language he did not primarily speak - his first language being Saulteaux, an Anishinaabe dialect.

The federal justice minister ordered a new trial earlier this year following a review of evidence that raised serious concerns about the fairness of the original investigation and prosecution. On Friday, the Crown admitted the case was a miscarriage of justice and withdrew the charges.

Chief Justice Glenn Joyal said systemic discrimination had tainted both the police investigation and the legal proceedings, contributing to the wrongful conviction.

Two other men - Brian Anderson and Allan Woodhouse - who were also convicted in connection with the same case, had their convictions overturned last year after a similar review and Crown admission of error.

The case has renewed calls for greater accountability in Canada’s justice system, particularly in cases involving Indigenous defendants, where linguistic and cultural barriers have long led to wrongful convictions.