Top court says Trudeau ethics ruling in WE Charity case can be reviewed

Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that a court can review decisions made by the federal ethics commissioner on questions of fact and law, striking down part of the Conflict of Interest Act that had limited such review. The case stems from the WE Charity controversy, in which former prime minister Justin Trudeau was cleared by former ethics commissioner Mario Dion, while former finance minister Bill Morneau was found to have broken conflict rules. Democracy Watch had sought judicial review of Dion’s ruling. The court did not rule on whether Dion was right or wrong in the underlying case. It only said that legal challenges to the commissioner’s conclusions must remain available through the courts, a decision the advocacy group says has broader implications for government accountability.