Canada - December 2022

Alberta has approved a law (Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act) that would enable it to ignore federal laws and regulations not accepted by the province or considered harmful to its interests. The administration of Danielle Smith, the province's premier, has argued the act could be implemented in areas such as public health, and oil and environmental policy, in which disagreements with Ottawa have been notable.

Critics have underscored that the implementation of this law could imperil legislation regarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and treaty rights, yet many critics and constitutional experts also consider that the act is unlikely to overcome a constitutional challenge in the courts.

Sources: The New York Times, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The Guardian