91
Trudeau’s use of Emergencies Act to clear convoy protests unjustified, appeal court rules
(www.theglobeandmail.com)
this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2026
91 points (91.7% liked)
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As much disdain as I have for those convoy protesters, I did wonder at the time "why not simply arrest them and impound their trucks with normal police actions first? Surely deliberately blocking roads like this is already illegal under ordinary laws." Only if that doesn't work would there be a bigger issue at hand.
Seems like my thought was correct.
Your thinking wasn't wrong, the problem was that the municipal and provincial police and governments abdicated their duties and abandoned their citizens. The federal government stepped in because the lower levels of government refused to do their duty for weeks. I don't disagree that Trudeau stepped a foot beyond his jurisdiction, but in that scenario, he was being the only responsible adult who actively cared about the well-being of Canadians.
I'm glad it was done, and there was nothing in the execution that was heavy-handed or otherwise untoward. The people had more than ample warning to disperse, the line moved slowly (giving the people every opportunity to leave of their own volition), force was restrained and minimal. People got arrested because at that point they made the choice to be. It certainly was not the situation we currently see unfolding in the US right now (which, if we are honest, the convoyers would have wanted for their side to perpetuate, if they could).
I think that’s the core here, it’s clearly laid out in the judges decision that the problem wasn’t the government using excessive force, it’s that the EA isn’t really meant to deal with this level of incompetence. Its purpose is to deal with real national security threats, and nothing the convoy did was beyond the scope of the local police, they just chose not to act, and the only mechanisms to hold anyone accountable within the police are operated by the police.
Partisanship within Canadian police departments is a serious issue, and while this ruling should be a wake up call, it won’t be heard.
Unfortunately partisan actors will paint the decision as “Trudeau is a tyrant” in conservative media regardless of the reality.
Ya, I don’t understand what the alternative is supposed to be. It was declining into lawlessness because police forces refused to do their jobs.
If the problem is that the police aren't doing their jobs, then maybe you should fire them and get some cops that will. And then the new cops can solve the problem. That's pretty obvious, isn't it?
You don't get to break the rules because you're unwilling to hire people to do their jobs.
The police are under provincial (and city) control.