Canadian gov’t to appeal ruling that Emergencies Act use was unlawful

OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — The Canadian government will appeal a recent decision affirming an earlier ruling that former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act (EA) in 2022 against Freedom Convoy protesters was illegal.

In response to the government’s March 17 appeal, which came on the last possible day to respond to the court ruling, legal groups involved in the court cases have voted to fight it.

“The Carney government has filed to appeal the decision in the Emergencies Act case. The lower Court and court of appeal both found the use of the act was unlawful and the regulations unconstitutional. The @CDNConstFound is prepared to defend the decision in the appeal,” wrote Christine Van Geyn, interim executive director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF), in an X post.

“Today was their deadline. They filed it at the absolute last moment. And we were ready. We are prepared to defend our victory that found the Emergencies Act was used unlawfully, and the regulations were unconstitutional, should the Supreme Court grant leave.”

As reported by LifeSiteNews in January, the Canadian Federal Court of Appeal affirmed in a ruling that Trudeau’s use of the EA was illegal.

In essence, the appeals court upheld a 2024 ruling by Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley that Trudeau’s use of the EA was “not justified.”

The government claims it is “committed to ensuring it has the tools needed to protect the safety and security of Canadians in the face of threats to public order and national security.”

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) funded lawyers for four Canadians who participated in the Freedom Convoy and who then challenged the invocation of the EA.

Several other organizations, including the CCF and the Canadian Frontline Nurses, four private applicants, and lawyers for the Alberta government, legally challenged Trudeau’s invoking of the measure.

Feds’ appeal is ‘Toddler-like temper tantrum to avoid admitting guilt: Tamara Lich

Tamara Lich, a co-leader of the Freedom Convoy who was jailed for her involvement, blasted the news of the appeal.

“The Canadian Liberal government continues to maintain the status quo regarding the Freedom Convoy and their invocation of the Emergencies Act. They dig in their heels, refuse to acknowledge their egregious actions were unlawful, and spend millions of taxpayer dollars on a toddler-like temper tantrum to avoid admitting guilt,” she wrote in an X post.

“They will gladly admit failure if they see an opportunity to shame and demoralize Canadians, however trampling rights and freedoms doesn’t warrant an apology, apparently.”

Lich did not hold back, noting how the former Liberal government under Trudeau “invoked the Canadian equivalent of martial law and unleashed law enforcement to forcibly remove middle class Canadians who simply sought a conversation with their elected leaders to express their concerns.”

She noted how Freedom Convoy protesters were “completely ignored, smeared, or canceled for two years.”

“Instead of dialogue, they beat veterans and civilians in the streets, colluded with bank CEOs to freeze bank accounts, and used a King Air plane to illegally spy on peaceful protesters and supporters,” she wrote.

In early 2022, the Freedom Convoy saw thousands of Canadians from coast to coast come to Ottawa to demand an end to COVID mandates in all forms. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, Trudeau’s federal government enacted the EA in mid-February.

Trudeau had disparaged Canadians who chose not to get the COVID shots, saying that opposing his measures were of a “small, fringe minority” who hold “unacceptable views” and do not “represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other.”   

After the protesters were cleared out, which was achieved through the freezing of bank accounts of those involved without a court order as well as the physical removal and arrest of demonstrators, Trudeau revoked the EA on February 23, 2022.

At the time, seven of Canada’s 10 provinces opposed Trudeau’s use of the EA.