The Day the Rule of Law in Canada Failed, and the Day It Almost Did

Commentary The truckers’ Freedom Convoy of 2022, I maintain, ignited Canadians for the long haul. So it should, if for no other reason than the Canadian re-awakening to the ancient concept of the rule of law. As the Hon. Brian Peckford has been reminding us over and over again, we must pay attention to the preamble of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms: “Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.” The rule of law stands for the basic premise that all are equal under the law. Even the king is subject to the law. In 1998, the Supreme Court of Canada opined that “the rule of law lie[s] at the root of our system of government.” The court observed three major aspects to this principle: first, “the law is supreme over the acts of both government and private persons. There is, in short, one law for all.” Second, the legislative laws are to be ordered to preserve the rule of law. Third, “the exercise of all public power must find its ultimate source in a legal rule.”...