Federal Court dismisses challenge of Trudeau's move to prorogue Parliament

A federal judge has dismissed a legal challenge of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's move to prorogue Parliament. Two Nova Scotia men had asked the Federal Court to declare the current suspension of Parliament illegal because there must be a "reasonable justification" for hitting the pause button.

David MacKinnon of Amherst, N.S., and Aris Lavranos of Halifax sought an order setting aside Trudeau's January decision to advise Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to exercise her power to prorogue Parliament until March 24. Federal lawyers argued that Trudeau's advice to Simon was not subject to review by the courts, and that the ultimate judgment rests with the voting public.

In a ruling made public tonight, Federal Court Chief Justice Paul Crampton says the applicants failed to demonstrate that Trudeau exceeded limits established by the written Constitution, unwritten constitutional principles or any other legal limits. Crampton listened to arguments from both sides of the dispute during a two-day hearing last month.