The Liberal government has officially launched an independent public inquiry into its use of the Emergencies Act to remove Freedom Convoy demonstrators in Ottawa earlier this year.
Ontario Appeal Court Justice Paul S. Rouleau has been named commissioner of the inquiry and must provide a final report to the federal government by Feb. 20, 2023.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the government has established the Public Order Emergency Commission to look into the circumstances that led to the Emergencies Act being invoked.
Trudeau invoked the Act for the first time since its creation on Feb. 14, amid nationwide protests against COVID-19 mandates and restrictions. The act gave police extraordinary powers to remove protesters at Ottawa’s downtown core and at several border blockades, where protesters had already largely cleared out by the time the act was invoked.
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