The Liberal government unreasonably invoked the Emergencies Act to clear the convoy protests that gridlocked the capital city and border points nearly four years ago, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled on Friday. WATCH | Ruling on Emergencies Act use during convoy protest reassures rights won't 'be trampled': CCLA : Ruling on Emergencies Act use during convoy protest reassures rights won't 'be trampled': CCLA | Duration 1:19 Canadian Civil Liberties Association executive director Howard Sapers told CBC's Olivia Stefanovich that it's 'tremendously important for all Canadians' that the Federal Court of Appeal ruled Ottawa's use of the Emergencies Act to clear the 2022 convoy protest was unreasonable. A protester wearing a Canadian flag takes a photo of children playing on Wellington Street across from Parliament’s West Block during the convoy protest. Under the Emergencies Act a national emergency exists if the situation "cannot be effectively dealt with under any other law of Canada." Rouleau concluded the federal government met the "very high" threshold needed to invoke the Emergencies Act, citing a failure in policing and federalism.

Source: CBC News January 17, 2026 15:05 UTC