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The federal government has not met the threshold necessary to invoke the Emergencies Act. This law creates a high and clear standard for good reason: the Act allows government to bypass ordinary democratic processes. This standard has not been met.

The Emergencies Act can only be invoked, according to its own terms, when a situation “seriously endangers the lives, health or safety of Canadians and is of such proportions or nature as to exceed the capacity or authority of a province to deal with it,” or “seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada” and when the situation “cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada.”

The Emergencies Act is there to address these kinds of extreme threats to Canada, not to protect the economy.

Governments regularly deal with difficult situations, and do so using powers granted to them by democratically elected representatives. Emergency legislation should not be normalized. It threatens our democracy and our civil liberties.

In The News

Emergencies ActEmergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
October 13, 2022

BBC News: Freedom Convoy: Trudeau to testify at Emergencies Act inquiry

"The protests needed to be addressed but the government also had an obligation to comply with the law and use emergency powers as a truly last resort," said the CCLA's…
Emergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
February 18, 2022

Daily Caller: Canadian Civil Liberties Association Sues Government After Trudeau Invokes Emergencies Act

The CCLA is specifically planning to sue over the invocation of the Emergencies Act.
Emergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
February 17, 2022

CBC: Canadian Civil Liberties Association to sue federal government over Emergencies Act

CCLA says government's decision to invoke act infringes on Canadians' Charter rights.
Emergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
February 17, 2022

The Record: Civil liberties group files suit over use of Emergencies Act against convoy protests

The CCLA says the federal Liberals are invoking the act when the law’s own terms say it shouldn’t be used.
Emergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
February 17, 2022

CBC: Canadian Civil Liberties Association to sue federal government over Emergencies Act

"Emergency powers cannot and must not be normalized," said CCLA executive director Noa Mendelsohn.
Emergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
February 17, 2022

CTV News: Canadian Civil Liberties Association takes federal government to court over Emergencies Act

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is taking the federal government to court.
Emergencies Act NewsIN THE NEWS
February 17, 2022

Daily Hive: Canadian Civil Liberties Association to sue federal government over Emergencies Act

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) announced Thursday it plans to sue the federal government.

About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association

The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.

For the Media

For further comments, please contact us at media@ccla.org.

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