No response from Ottawa as deadline set by Emergencies Act commission passes

The Liberal government has missed a deadline to respond to the findings and recommendations of Justice Paul Rouleau, who headed a federal inquiry into the government's first and only use of the Emergencies Act in 2022.

One year ago, Rouleau issued his final report on the government's decision to declare a public order emergency during theself-styled «Freedom Convoy» protests, which gridlocked the streets around Parliament and blocked international border crossings.

Rouleau found the government was justified in invoking the act on Feb. 14, 2022, but made 56 recommendations for the future, including several suggested amendments to the law itself.

He ordered the government to respond to those recommendations within 12 months, to say which of them will be implemented and provide a timeline.

Rouleau didn't impose any penalties for missing the deadline, and it wasn't legally binding.

The public safety minister's office says it will have more information about the government's response «soon» and didn't offer a justification for missing Rouleau's deadline.

One possible wrench in the response is a Federal Court decision in January that contrasted Rouleau's conclusions. It called the government's invocation of the Emergencies Act a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared the emergency just over two years ago, after thousands of protesters entrenched themselves in downtown Ottawa streets for weeks. They used big rigs and other vehicles in a demonstration of opposition to Trudeau's government and COVID-19 public health restrictions.

Spinoff protests also blockaded border crossings with the United States and various provincial legislatures.

The emergency declaration granted