Court Canada Emergency Law Government Freeze Trucker Protest

• In a decision on January 23, the Federal Court of Canada has ruled against the emergency law used by government to freeze trucker protest funds.

In a decision on January 23, the Federal Court of Canada has ruled that the Emergencies Act, invoked by the government to freeze funds and cryptocurrencies donated to protesting truckers, was unreasonable and unconstitutional. 

Justice Richard Mosley found that “there was no national emergency justifying the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the decision to do so was therefore unreasonable.”

The government’s use of the Emergencies Act in February 2022 to freeze funds, including cryptocurrencies, donated to truckers protesting COVID-19 restrictions was challenged by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), the Canadian Constitution Foundation, and other groups. 

They argued that the government’s actions were unnecessary and unconstitutional.

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The court agreed with the challengers, finding that the government had other tools at its disposal to address the situation and that invoking the Emergencies Act was an overreach. 

The “Freedom Convoy” protesters used trucks to block streets in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, to protest mandates that required truck drivers crossing the Canada-United States border to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The government claimed that invoking the Emergencies Act was necessary as the protests were an illegal occupation. 

However, the court found that the government’s actions were disproportionate and violated the rights of the protesters. 

Cryptocurrency played a significant role in funding the trucker protests, with protesters estimated to have received millions of dollars in digital assets.