OTTAWA — Federal Court of Appeal Chief Justice de Montigny is expected to deliver a decision Friday on the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act during the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests. The appeal decision follows a ruling by the Federal Court in 2024 that the invocation of the act in response to the protests was unreasonable, unjustified, and violated Charter rights. The Federal Court’s ruling stemmed from legal challenges brought on by Canadian civil liberties organizations, including the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), who argued the federal government went beyond its powers. While the Federal Court opposed the use of the act, the Public Order Emergency Commission, a public inquiry into the government’s use of emergency powers, ruled the act’s use was justified in 2023. “The case is one of the most significant for civil liberties in modern Canadian history,” the CCF said in a statement in anticipation of Friday’s decision.

Source: National Post January 16, 2026 10:44 UTC