Public Order Emergency Commission – November 29, 2022 (Panel 1 of 2)

The Public Order Emergency Commission holds a panel discussion in Ottawa as it continues the policy phase of its work. Experts from various fields will assist the commission in developing recommendations related to its mandate. Wayne MacKay (professor emeritus of law, Dalhousie University) moderates this panel on misinformation, disinformation, and the role of social media. Emily Laidlaw (University of Calgary), David Morin (University of Sherbrooke), Dax D'Orazio (Queen’s University), Jonathon Penney (Osgoode Hall Law School, York University), and Vivek Venkatesh (Concordia University) take part in the panel.

Led by Paul Rouleau, the commission is studying the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act in February 2022 to declare a public order emergency. The declaration of emergency came in response to protests, at a number of Canada–U.S. border crossings and in downtown Ottawa, opposing the government’s COVID-19 public-health measures. The Emergencies Act requires an inquiry to be held following any declaration of emergency, with the mandate of examining both the circumstances of the declaration and the measures taken under it. The inquiry heard from over 60 witnesses including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several key federal ministers during its six weeks of public hearings.


Please note: Video with ASL sign language interpretation is available at https://publicorderemergencycommission.ca/