Former Justice Minister and Attorney General David Lametti has announced his resignation from public office, effective February 1st.
The announcement comes in the wake of a federal court judge’s decision, which declared the Liberal Government’s use of the Emergencies Act against the Freedom Convoy protesters in Ottawa as a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This ruling was made just two days prior to Lametti’s resignation.
“I disagree with the decision. I disagree with [Justice Richard Mosley’s] analysis and I disagree with his framing of the issue and his treatment of the facts,” Lametti told Catherine Cullen, host of CBC Radio’s The House, which will air his interview on Saturday.
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“I’m pretty confident this decision will be overturned on appeal.”
In his resignation letter, Lametti expressed pride in his role during the Freedom Convoy protests. He disclosed his plans to join the law firm Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, without mentioning the recent court ruling.
His resignation follows the unexpected departure of Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett in December and occurs a day after Liberal MP Ken McDonald publicly questioned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s leadership. Although McDonald retracted his statements later, the timing of these events suggests a period of turbulence within the Liberal Party.
During the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC) inquiry, text messages surfaced showing Lametti joking about using military tanks against the Freedom Convoy protesters. He later termed these comments as “banter” in his testimony.
The Federal Court’s ruling was a significant moment, critiquing the government’s approach in handling the protests. The court found the invocation of the Emergencies Act, typically reserved for severe national crises, to be disproportionate, infringing on the protesters’ rights to freedom of thought, opinion, and expression under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Related: Conservatives Call for Action Following Court Ruling Against Trudeau’s Use of the Emergencies Act
The plaintiffs, including the Canadian Constitution Foundation and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, argued that the situation during the protests did not warrant such extreme measures. The respondents, represented by the Attorney General of Canada, Arif Virani, included the Governor in Council Mary Simon and then-Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino. Virani succeeded Lametti as the Attorney General after Trudeau removed Lametti from the role in August 2023.
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