(Ottawa) The Supreme Court of Canada ruled against the federal government’s impact assessment law on Friday. Five out of seven justices found it broadly unconstitutional because it ultimately aims to regulate activities that fall under provincial jurisdiction.
Published at 10:21 am.
Chief Justice Richard Wagner, writing for the majority, said federal authority does not cover the list of projects subject to federal review under the law.
Judge Wagner said the impacts of these projects must fall under federal jurisdiction for a law to be constitutional.
In his 204-page ruling, he said the government had failed to make its case.
However, two justices dissented and ruled that the law was constitutional.
The Impact Assessment Act, known in Parliament as Bill C-69, is now the second piece of legislation of its kind to be struck down by the courts.
In 2016, the Federal Court of Appeal invalidated the valuation law passed by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government.