Commission concludes government can do what it wants, no matter what the legislation actually says
Supporters of the Trudeau government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act will be greatly cheered by the central conclusion arrived at by Rouleau that the government’s invocation of the act was appropriate, and no doubt this will be the primary talking point advanced by the government’s communications machine in the coming weeks. The debate is over; vindication is ours.
To be fair to Rouleau, he knew he was caught between a rock and a hard place: fail to make a finding and be accused of ducking; or make a finding and get pilloried for stepping outside his mandate. In the end, he decided to split the difference.
This sort of hedging will be unsatisfying to people on both sides of the debate. On a matter of such importance, and having recognized that the issue remains before the Federal Court, one would think that the appropriate course of action would be to either state one’s position with a high degree of confidence or withhold taking one altogether.Article content
Much of Rouleau’s rationale rests upon the well-established criminal law “reasonable belief” standard — which holds that perfect judgment is not required, but merely that a decision maker in possession of a certain set of facts acts in a way that is considered “reasonable.” There is little to quibble with here as a general principle.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Christine Van Geyn: Trudeau government's rash use of Emergencies Act deserves consequencesThis week marks one\u002Dyear since the Trudeau government invoked the E
Read more »
LILLEY: What we can expect, and hope for, in the Emergencies Act reportOn Friday, the Trudeau government will table the final report into their use of the Emergencies Act one year ago.
Read more »
Emergencies Act report to be released on FridayCommissioner Paul Rouleau legally has 360 days to submit his report to both Houses of Parliament. That clock runs out on Saturday
Read more »
Emergencies Act inquiry’s final report to be released FridayThe federal government made the unprecedented decision to invoke the act last year to quell anti-vaccine mandate, anti-government protests across the country
Read more »
LILLEY: What we can expect, and hope for, in the Emergencies Act reportOn Friday, the Trudeau government will table the final report into their use of the Emergencies Act one year ago.
Read more »