In a blistering decision delivered Friday, an Alberta judge ruled that a proposed referendum on the province separating from Canada violates both Charter and Treaty rights, an outcome that, according to observers, could only surprise people who have never read the Charter or a Treaty.
The ruling came less than 24 hours after the provincial government introduced Bill 14, legislation designed to retroactively end the very court proceeding that produced the ruling. The bill would permit citizen initiatives to proceed even if they “might violate the Constitution,” a phrase legal scholars say is roughly equivalent to “go nuts, folks.”
Court of King’s Bench Justice Colin Feasby scolded the government for trying to short-circuit the case. “Legislating to pre-emptively end this court proceeding disrespects the administration of justice,” he said, pausing only briefly to confirm he hadn’t wandered into a satire newsroom by mistake.
Government officials reportedly responded by drafting Bill 15: The Please Stop Judging Our Laws Act.
