Convoy protesters near the Coutts border in early February. (Canadian Press)

By Canadian Press

Canadian Civil Liberties Association takes government to court over Emergencies Act

Feb 17, 2022 | 2:32 PM

OTTAWA – The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is seeking a judicial review of the government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to quell anti-government protests in downtown Ottawa and elsewhere.

The group says it does not want to minimize the impacts that the protests are having across the country, but it is unclear that the demonstrations endanger the lives, health, or safety of Canadians so seriously that they constitute a national emergency.

It says police deal with complex law-enforcement issues every day and have cleared multiple border blockades across the country without emergency powers.

The group’s criminal justice director Abby Deshman says the Emergencies Act orders do not apply only in Ottawa and affect the rights of every Canadian.

She says the group believes the measures are clearly unconstitutional and it will be asking the courts to step in to defend the rule of law and the constitutional rights of all people across the country.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said using the Emergencies Act is a measure of last resort to bring an end to the illegal and undemocratic blockades that have harmed Canadians for nearly three weeks now.

(The Canadian Press)