Alberta files an appeal after a court throws out a separatist referendum petition, according to reports. The Alberta government says the appeal, filed in Edmonton, challenges the decision by Court of King’s Bench Justice Shaina Leonard. Alberta argues that the judge made multiple errors in the ruling and indicates it will contest key findings on how the petition was issued and handled under provincial law.
The ruling that Alberta seeks to overturn came last month. Justice Leonard finds the referendum petition should not have been issued under Alberta’s provincial law framework. The decision also addresses Indigenous consultation, concluding that Premier Danielle Smith’s government neglected its duty to consult First Nations.
Premier Smith characterizes the decision as “anti-democratic” and says the government will appeal, maintaining that the petition process should proceed. No decision on the appeal is described in the reports, and the case remains in the court system as Alberta’s challenge moves forward.
