Alberta court gives partial win to separatist referendum organizers

Leaders pushing for a referendum on Alberta's separation from Canada have received a partial victory in court.

Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Alice Woolley ruled today that the process of counting and verifying signatures collected for the separatist petition can proceed.

The petition seeks a provincewide vote on Alberta leaving Canada and is being led primarily by activist Mitch Sylvestre.

Last month, a lower court judge dismissed the petition, ruling that the Alberta government had failed to meet its constitutional duty to consult with First Nations.

Immediately after that decision, the group submitted its signature sheets to Elections Alberta.

Sylvestre's group says it collected more than 300,000 signatures, which would be enough to trigger the referendum process if the signatures are validated.