An Alberta court overturns a Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta decision that found the Edmonton Police Service liable for racial discrimination toward two Black men who reported a crime and were later arrested in 2017. The original tribunal ruling held that, although the officers involved in the arrest did not directly discriminate, their actions reflected “unconscious bias,” leading to the police service being ordered to pay $80,000.
CBC reports that the overturned decision means the Edmonton Police Service will not have to pay the $80,000 award. The Edmonton Journal adds that the tribunal member, Erika Ringseis, concluded the police service was responsible based on findings of unconscious bias.
The court’s decision focuses on quashing the tribunal’s ruling that the police service was racially motivated in the outcome. While details of the court’s reasoning beyond the overturning are not provided in the excerpts, both outlets agree the human rights award is reversed and the police service is no longer held liable under that decision.
