A Quebec Superior Court judge threw out the lawsuit of a former Concordia University professor convicted of killing four colleagues in 1992, who was suing five staff members at the university.

Valery Fabrikant, 67, who is serving a life sentence for the murders, had sued five former university colleagues for $600,000, claiming they "unfairly profited" from his research and "extorted" his documents.

Madame Justice Nicole Morneau of the Quebec Superior Court dismissed the case Monday morning, basing her decision on a provision in the Quebec Code of Civil Procedures that allows the court to throw out a case that is found to be frivolous or unfounded.

Morneau was replacing Judge Gilles Hébert, who quit the case two weeks ago, saying he could no longer be objective in the face of Fabrikant's "aggressive," "cynical" and "denigrating" attitude in court.

Since his conviction in 1993, Fabrikant developed a reputation for taxing the court system with appeals, lawsuits and other legal requests.

He was ordered to stop doing so in 2000.

However, Fabrikant continued his quarrelsome behaviour, making several demands, including one for a larger table in court.

Lawyer Roger Judd, who represents two of the five people being sued, said Monday's judgment puts an end to a sad chapter.

Fabrikant has 30 days to file an appeal of the decision.