Can Government Declare an Emergency to Silence Dissent?

Can Government Declare an Emergency to Silence Dissent?

From Beneath the Law by Stories and Strategies

March 3, 2026 · 32 min · Season 1 · Episode 63

About this episode

This episode examines the Federal Court of Appeal's ruling on the unlawful invocation of the Emergencies Act by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest.

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a government turns its most powerful emergency legislation against its own citizens for honking horns? This episode examines one of the most consequential constitutional rulings in recent Canadian legal history: the Federal Court of Appeal's decision finding that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's invocation of the Emergencies Act against the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest was unlawful. Gavin Tighe and Stephen Thiele dissect the court's rigorous analys...

People in this episode

Hosts: Gavin Tighe, Stephen Thiele

Topics covered

  • government emergency powers
  • constitutional law
  • freedom of speech
  • Canada
  • protest rights
  • legal analysis

Keywords

  • Emergencies Act
  • Justin Trudeau
  • Freedom Convoy
  • constitutional ruling
  • Canada
  • government powers
  • dissent
  • court decision

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Federal Court of Appeal, Emergencies Act

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