Alberta Court’s Overturning of Liberals’ Environmental Impact Law Marks ‘Principled Approach’ to Federalism: Law Prof

Pro-pipeline supporters rally outside a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources regarding Bill C-69, in Calgary, Alta., on April 9, 2019. The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh

The recent ruling by the Alberta Court of Appeal that the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act (IAA) is unconstitutional may show that the court has a “principled approach” toward federalism that’s more consistent with earlier jurisprudence, says a constitutional law expert.

“Other courts are approaching federalism in Canada a little bit differently today, and the Alberta Court of Appeal may have a different approach than some other courts,” Dwight Newman, a law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said at a webinar hosted by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute on May 26.