Canada Federal Court dismisses Democracy Watch judicial review application

The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed an application for judicial review brought by Democracy Watch regarding a report by the Conflict of Interest Ethics Commissioner. The original report concluded that former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not violate the Conflict of Interest Act during his involvement in decisions related to WE Charity.

The Attorney General of Canada moved to strike the application, arguing that Democracy Watch lacked standing and that the application was barred by section 66 of the Conflict of Interest Act. This provision limits judicial review of the Commissioner’s decisions to issues of jurisdiction, procedural fairness, or instances involving fraud or perjured evidence.

While the Federal Court of Appeal had previously ruled that the appellant possessed public interest standing, it ultimately granted the Attorney General’s motion to strike, effectively dismissing the application.