Alberta’s Court of Appeal allows the counting of signatures submitted in support of an Alberta independence petition, after overturning part of a lower-court decision that had quashed the petition process. The appeal is brought by separatist organizers and the provincial government. Court of Appeal Justice Alice Woolley issues a partial stay pending the outcome of the further appeal, meaning that the petition’s signature counting can proceed while the legal dispute continues.
The decision comes after a lower court ruled against allowing the petition to move forward, prompting the parties to seek appellate review. The Court of Appeal’s ruling does not resolve the underlying dispute permanently; it permits interim steps—in this case, verifying and counting signatures—until the court addresses the broader questions in a subsequent hearing.
Both outlets report that the appeal results in an initial procedural victory for the parties seeking to continue the petition process, with the counting allowed under the terms of the partial stay pending further court consideration.
