uOttawa Conference on the Rouleau Commission Report on the Emergencies Act

On March 29 next, the University of Ottawa is holding a one-day conference to discuss the report of the Rouleau Commission into the invocation of the Emergencies Act by the federal government in 2022. I will be participating as a panelist. If time allows I will post my thoughts on the report and its relationship to the various applications for judicial review brought against the federal government, which are to be heard in the first week of April. The organizers, Vanessa MaDonnell and Eric Champagne, have made the short video above and have also passed on the following message:

On March 29, nine research centres and institutes at the University of Ottawa will co-host a major one-day conference on the Rouleau Commission Report. The conference will dissect four main themes of the report: policing and national security; populism, governance and rights; the future of emergency powers in Canada; and misinformation, disinformation and the protection of democracy. 

 In early 2022, the federal government declared a controversial public order emergency after a truck convoy carrying protesters from across the country blocked access to downtown Ottawa and key border crossings in Ontario and Alberta. It was the first time that the 1988 Emergencies Act had ever been invoked. After the declaration of emergency was lifted, the federal government established a commission, as required by law, to inquire into the circumstances that gave rise to the events. Justice Paul Rouleau’s report, released in February 2023, provides an exhaustive account of what occurred in January and February of 2022, and concludes that the declaration of emergency was justified in the circumstances.

 Bringing together leading experts from the University of Ottawa in the fields of law, politics, public administration, economics, criminology, sociology, communications, technology and health, the conference’s aim is to contribute to the public conversation about the convoy, the declaration of emergency, and the robustness of Canada’s constitutional democracy. The discussions will also highlight the wide range of policy areas affected by the recommendations, including policing and intelligence, federalism, the Emergencies Act, misinformation and disinformation, and the regulation of cryptocurrencies.

 We would like to extend an invitation to you to attend the conference—in full or in part. We are confident that the topics to be discussed will be of interest to you.

 You will find the agenda for the Conference attached. We also please ask you to register via the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/deconstructing-the-public-response-to-the-convoy-tickets-551875824447. If you are attending in person, you can find information about parking on campus here.

 We look forward to having you with us!

This content has been updated on March 17, 2023 at 17:38.