On Wednesday, in its Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation v Alberta decision, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench quashed the province’s secession referendum process. In particular, the judge quashed the chief electoral officer’s decision to allow signatures to be gathered to call for a referendum. Whatever your view on Alberta secession, the decision warrants attention for the readiness of the judge to prohibit a democratic process based on Indigenous rights claims.
Dwight Newman: Judge far too quick to toss out separation petition with 300K signatures
Indigenous rights claims do not automatically outweigh broader democratic principles
