MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Colin Thatcher, convicted killer and former Saskatchewan cabinet minister, will be back in a Saskatchewan court Wednesday as he makes another bid for a chance at early parole.

Thatcher, the son of former Saskatchewan premier Ross Thatcher, was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1983 death of his ex-wife, JoAnn Wilson. The conviction carried a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years.

But Thatcher is applying under the so-called "faint-hope" clause of the Criminal Code, which allows lifers a shot at early parole after serving only 15 years of their sentence.

A jury, which is to be selected beginning Wednesday, will determine whether Thatcher should be considered for early release. The final decision still rests with the National Parole Board.

This will be Thatcher's second shot at a faint-hope hearing. He failed in his first attempt in 2000 in a hearing, which was also in his hometown of Moose Jaw.

He is eligible for full parole in May 2009 and for day parole in May 2006 unless the faint-hope decision reduces that time.

"It is my hope that one day I will be permitted to return to live and to work on the (family) farm," Thatcher said in his current application.

He has always maintained he is not guilty.

Darin Chow, Thatcher's lawyer, said this hearing is Thatcher's only hope until 2006.

"He has been convicted and has exhausted all his appeals," said Chow.

"I think it is fair to say that he is optimistic," Chow added. "But he's also very guarded. He knows how difficult it is to convince 12 jurors unanimously."

Thatcher, 65, was convicted of murdering Wilson in November 1984 following a protracted and bitter custody and divorce battle. She was murdered in the garage of her Regina home.

Anthony Wilson, JoAnn's second husband, filed a victim impact statement at the last faint-hope hearing. He has done the same this time and said that having to re-live his wife's death each time can be difficult.

"Having to go through explaining how you felt and what happened to you does bring it all back again," Wilson said in a telephone interview from his home in Pittsburgh.

"It's sort of like a Greek tragedy. She was such a great person and nobody gained anything by it happening."

Jury selection for this hearing will be held at a seniors centre because the courthouse is not big enough to hold the pool of possible jurors.

A closed-circuit TV system has been arranged for the hearing to accommodate observers who cannot squeeze into the room to watch the proceedings.