“Unlawful. Illegal.” Why the Emergencies Act Decision Matters to Every Canadian episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 17, 2026 · 48 MIN

“Unlawful. Illegal.” Why the Emergencies Act Decision Matters to Every Canadian

from Return to Reason · host Return to Reason

A court of Appeal deemed the Emergencies Act was used illegally in February 2022. If another crisis hits tomorrow, what standards would government have to meet? Did we learn any lessons, or will this happen again?  David Leis speaks with Josh DeHaas of the Canadian Constitution Foundation, the team behind the court action. Josh explains how vague emergency definitions, secrecy in governance, and unchecked executive power could shape future policy decisions.  With legislation like Bill C-8, Bill C-9, and Bill C-15 expanding government authority, the real question is no longer what happened, but what policy changes, if any, are being made to stop it from happening again. 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 17, 2026

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“Unlawful. Illegal.” Why the Emergencies Act Decision Matters to Every Canadian

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