Canada’s Supreme Court rules that a watchdog group may pursue a judicial review of a federal ethics decision concerning Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s involvement in WE Charity-related matters. The court’s decision clears the way for the group to challenge the ethics commissioner’s findings, bringing the case forward in Federal Court.
According to reports, in May 2021 then–ethics commissioner Mario Dion concluded that Trudeau—at the time the prime minister—did not breach the Conflict of Interest Act as a result of his participation in decisions related to WE Charity. The Supreme Court’s ruling does not decide the underlying merits of whether there was a conflict; it determines that the procedural challenge can proceed.
The watchdog group’s application asks the court to review the ethics commissioner’s report, and the Supreme Court’s direction means the case will continue through the judicial review process.
