Gov’t Didn’t Meet Requirement to Invoke Emergencies Act, Lawyer for Civil Liberties Group Argues in Federal Court

Gov’t Didn’t Meet Requirement to Invoke Emergencies Act, Lawyer for Civil Liberties Group Argues in Federal Court
Protesters stand on the back of a truck during the Freedom Convoy demonstrations against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Matthew Horwood
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A lawyer for the Canadian Constitution Foundation argued Tuesday in Federal Court that the Liberal government needed more supporting information to invoke the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protests last winter.

“Cabinet’s determination that the protests and blockades were threats to the security of Canada was unreasonable, because it had insufficient evidence to reach that conclusion,” Sujit Choudhrsaid, a lawyer with the Canadian Constitution Foundation, said on the second day of a Federal Court review.