McGill law students raise concerns after a man convicted of murder joins classes

Jeffrey George Ewert, in his 60s, is serving a life sentence for a second-degree murder and an attempted murder in British Columbia in 1984. He was granted day parole in 2025 and has attended McGill since August.

Some students say they feel unsafe and that the university did not tell them; others who met him on campus say they never felt in danger.

McGill cites privacy laws and says criminal record checks are not part of standard admissions at Canadian universities. It says he has not been on campus since early October.

Conditions of his parole

• No bars
• Report any relationship with a woman
• Supervisors see all his communications

The Parole Board of Canada extended his day parole in June on conditions, including staying out of bars, reporting any relationship with women and giving his supervisors access to his communications.

Why it matters

His lawyer, Nora Demnati, says he has changed after four decades in prison and should be given a chance. The case revives the debate on reintegrating inmates.