Canada: Judge rules approval of Alberta separation petition was ‘unreasonable’

Justice Shaina Leonard of the Alberta Court of King’s Bench said the approval process failed to properly consider constitutional issues and Indigenous treaty rights raised by First Nations groups challenging the petition, CBC News reported.

The petition, backed by the Alberta Prosperity Project, sought to trigger a provincewide referendum on whether Alberta should become a sovereign nation and leave Canada.

Several First Nations, including Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, launched a legal challenge arguing that any attempt at Alberta separation could not proceed without consultation and consent from treaty nations, Global News reported.

Leonard previously granted a temporary injunction pausing the referendum petition process while the court reviewed whether Elections Alberta had acted within its authority, according to The Canadian Press.

The ruling marks a setback for Alberta separatist organizers, who have argued that dissatisfaction with federal energy and economic policies has fueled support for sovereignty.

Premier Danielle Smith’s government had earlier introduced legislative changes lowering the signature threshold required for citizen-led referendum initiatives, a move critics said could make separatist campaigns easier to advance.

The Alberta Prosperity Project has said it gathered enough signatures to move the referendum proposal forward, though recent polling suggests most Albertans do not support separation from Canada, according to Canadian media organisations.

Neither Elections Alberta nor the Alberta government immediately issued public comments following the ruling, reports said.