Alberta Court Rules Petition for Independence Referendum Cannot Proceed
An Alberta court ruled that a petition seeking a referendum on provincial independence cannot move forward. The decision followed a lawsuit by the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the government will appeal.
nationalpost.comA judge in Alberta ruled last week that a petition to hold a referendum on the province's independence from Canada cannot proceed. The Court of King's Bench sided with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, which argued that the provincial government must consult First Nations before allowing the petition process.
The ruling blocks verification of more than 300,000 signatures collected by the Alberta Independence movement. The group had submitted the petition to Elections Alberta on May 11, exceeding the 177,173 signatures required to trigger a vote.
Smith stated that her government will appeal the ruling. She said the decision contains an error in law and described it as undemocratic. The court found that Alberta's government had an obligation to consult the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation because secession would create new international borders and affect treaty rights.
The First Nation had obtained an interim injunction in mid-April that halted signature verification.
Activists and the provincial government said they plan to appeal the decision to a higher court. Some supporters of the petition have suggested that the premier could call a referendum directly without the citizen initiative process. Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation said the ruling was a victory for First Nations and questioned why the government would appeal if it does not support separation.
