OTTAWA: The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) is pleased that the Public Order Emergency Commission (also known as the Rouleau Commission) has issued a summons for Premier Doug Ford and former Solicitor General Sylvia Jones to testify before the Commission.
This summons follows a request by the CCF, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and the Ottawa Coalition on October 20 to call Ford and Jones as witnesses.
The CCF has released a copy of the full response from the Rouleau Commission here.
“We are pleased that Premier Ford and Minister Jones have been summoned to appear as witnesses in this historic inquiry which is looking into the basis for the federal government’s invocation of the Emergencies Act,” said Sujit Choudhry, counsel for the CCF in the Rouleau Commission and its Federal Court challenge to the public order emergency.
“Premier Doug Ford and Minister Sylvia Jones have important and relevant evidence about why the Premier did not use his emergency powers under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to address the Ottawa protests. Now that a summons has been issued, they are required by law to provide this evidence,” Choudhry continued.
“The federal Emergencies Act is a last resort that can only be used when all other legal authorities fall short. Premier Ford could have created a Red Zone around Parliament Hill and downtown Ottawa,” said Choudhry.
Contact: Sujit Choudhry, e: [email protected], m: (416) 436-3679.
Members of the public who want to support the CCF’s ongoing work and legal fees related to the Emergencies Act can make a tax deductible charitable donation at theCCF.ca/Donate/
