OTTAWA — The federal government has lost its appeal on a ruling by the Federal Court that found the invocation of the Emergencies Act during the 2022 Freedom Convoy Protests was unjustified. In the 178-page decision released on Friday, Chief Justice de Montigny said he was dismissing all the appeals against the lower court’s decision. 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. Following the decision, then deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland vowed her government would appeal the ruling. 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.

Source: National Post January 16, 2026 10:52 UTC