Public Order Emergency Commission – November 30, 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. Michael Nesbitt (associate professor in the University of Calgary's faculty of law) moderates this panel examining national security and public order emergencies. Taking part in the roundtable are former CSIS directors Richard Fadden and Ward Elcock, as well as Leah West (Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University) and Wesley Wark (Centre for International Governance Innovation).

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 70 witnesses including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and several key federal ministers during its six weeks of public hearings. Justice Rouleau must submit a final report to Parliament no later than February 20, 2023.


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