The Emergencies Act inquiry will judge whether its use was strictly necessary. Public opinion will judge the rest
Whatever else the public inquiry into the Trudeau government’s decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to end the chaos in downtown Ottawa earlier this year may or may not determine, it has already triumphantly vindicated one thing: the Emergencies Act itself.
A “national emergency” means an “urgent and critical situation” that “seriously endangers” the “lives, health or safety of Canadians” to an extent that exceeds “the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it” or “seriously threatens” the “sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada” and – crucially – which “cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada.”
So this was not, as various hysterics had it at the time, the invocation of martial law. It wasn’t even the War Measures Act, the legislation it replaced. No troops were in the streets; no Charter rights were suspended. Neither was the prospect of an inquiry after the fact the only limit on the government’s use of the act.
First, was there in fact a “national emergency” as defined under the act? The commission will serve a purpose if it only establishes that there was a widespread breakdown of law and order; that the citizens of Ottawa, besides being unlawfully prevented from going about their business, were also harassed, intimidated and in some cases assaulted; and that the failure of all three levels of government to restore order for weeks on end had already led to similar protests by like-minded extremists...
But to satisfy the tests of the law, it will have to show that the same result could not have been achieved by less draconian means. If nothing else,
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.
Opinion: The Emergencies Act was never meant to be used against political opponentsThe public inquiry must soberly judge the Liberal government\u0027s use of emergency powers
Read more »
Expect ‘tight timelines’ for Emergencies Act public inquiry, Rouleau warnsThe judge leading the public inquiry into the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act warned of tight timelines.
Read more »
Canadians have 'right to know' what happened when Liberals declared emergency: judgeA lawyer representing 'Freedom Convoy' organizers has told a public inquiry into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act there was no evidence the law was necessary to end the protests.
Read more »
Canadians have 'right to know' what happened when Liberals declared emergency: judgeA lawyer representing “Freedom Convoy” organizers has told a public inquiry into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act there was no evidence the law was necessary to end the protests.
Read more »
LILLEY: Trudeau trying to pre-judge Emergencies Act inquiry outcome as Commission gets underwayEven before the inquiry wrapped it\u0027s first day, Trudeau was defending his actions, the actions the inquiry is supposed to pass judgment on.
Read more »
LILLEY: Trudeau trying to pre-judge Emergencies Act inquiry outcome as Commission gets underwayEven before the inquiry wrapped it\u0027s first day, Trudeau was defending his actions, the actions the inquiry is supposed to pass judgment on.
Read more »