Kids tried to sue Canada over climate inaction. They lost, Not for the courts to decide, Harper Gov’t appointed judge says. Kids plan to appeal. Bravo kids! I am grateful and in awe of you, but don’t expect “justice” to be served by our oil-soaked Supreme Court of Canada, or your Charter rights respected.

“Rule of Law” or “Rich White Man Law?” US Senate (controls Supreme Court nominees) created to represent the rich: “…to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.” John A. MacDonald, 1st thug PM on why Canada needed an appointed Senate: “We must protect the rights of the minority, and the rich are always in fewer number than the poor.”

Damaging the Charter: Ernst vs Alberta Energy Regulator by Lorne Sossin, Dean Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. Comment: “It causes one to question how much both the plurality and the dissent were driven by the desired end-state of the judgment, rather than consistency in applying principles of public law.”

Wow, University of Alberta’s Centre for Constitutional Studies & Legal Education Society of Alberta haven’t yet realized that Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a mangled, oil-soaked paper airplane flown out of a 26th storey window in downtown Calgary, fueled by Supreme Court of Canada knowingly publishing lies in their rulings.

Kids tried to sue Canada over climate inaction. They lost, Not for the courts to decide, judge says by CBC News, Oct 27, 2020

This story was updated on Oct. 28, to include a statement from the Canadian government.

Haana Edenshaw was sitting in math class when she heard the news.

On Tuesday, a federal court rejected a lawsuit filed by Haana and 14 other teens against the Canadian government for what they call inaction on climate change.

The 17-year-old from Haida Gwaii, B.C., said she jumped out of her seat when she got the message.

It wasn’t the news she was hoping for. “I was just, like, a bit shaken up, a bit disappointed.”

That feeling didn’t last long. Haana said she and the others are planning to appeal the judge’s decision to reject their lawsuit.

We’re “nowhere near the end of our fight,” she said. “We’re just going to keep going.”

Haana Edenshaw, who’s Indigenous from the Haida Nation, said climate change threatens her ability to hunt and gather food and to learn from the land.

What was the lawsuit about?

In a media release from lawyers representing the group, the kids said the Government of Canada is responsible for greenhouse gas emissions that have resulted in changes to the climate.

They said those changes are causing harmful situations such as wildfire smoke and extreme temperatures.

The lawsuit asked the federal court to rule that Canada is, “interfering with the youth’s Charter rights to life, liberty, security of the person and equality.”

They had hoped that the lawsuit would force the government to come up with a new plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Why was the lawsuit rejected?

The judge in this case, Justice Michael D. Manson Appointed to the court by the law violating, pro big corporation, oil and frac patch pollution enabling, anti-environment, anti-Charter Harper Klan, ruled that the Canadian government would not go to trial under his watch.

There are a few reasons why.

One of the big ones is that the questions raised in the case “are so political that the courts are incapable or unsuited to deal with them,” he wrote in his decision.

Judicial Reality Check:

Emmett Macfarlane@EmmMacfarlane Poli Sci Prof, UWaterloo. Constitutional Law, Public Policy & Cdn Politics. Author & editor of books:

Law is politics people. Never forget.

End Judicial Reality Check!

The 15 kids involved in the lawsuit range in age from 10 to 19. They represent seven provinces and one territory.

Kids respond

Problem is, kids can’t vote, said Haana, so they have no say when it comes to choosing political leaders.

What’s more, Haana said, climate change hurts kids more than any other age group.

“It’s affecting youth the most, and we have the least say at the moment,” she said.

“Like, the more and more we have inaction for climate change, the worse the world is going to be when we grow up.”

Next steps

Lawyers representing the kids confirmed that they will be appealing the judge’s decision.

That means they will be applying to have the decision reversed.

Hanna said she’s motivated “to work even harder” as the case progresses.

CBC Kids News reached out to the Canadian government for their thoughts on the decision.

On Oct. 28, a spokesperson for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change sent a statement by email.

“We agree that climate change is a crisis that must be addressed,” Moira Kelly said.

She said the government has spent the past five years putting an “ambitious” climate plan in place. Pfffffft! Deflective and twisted. The gov’t spouts too many words and promises, not enough action, while throwing away taxpayer money on leaking, mega-money losing pipelines, and enabling more and more polluting oil, gas and frac/LNG industry developments, and delay upon delay upon delay, granting companies and their propaganda groups (e.g. CAPP) everything they demand, and more and, worse, continue to refuse to implement CETA (1999), refusing to make companies publicly disclose toxic chemicals used.

Still, “we know we need to do more, which is why we will soon bring forward an updated climate plan,” Kelly said. “Soon?” In how many years? “Bring forward?” When? 2030? When it’s too late and the polluting, life-harming industry has been driven into the bin by banks and investors? Ms. Kelly contradicts herself.

Refer also to:

2015: A Duty to Protect. “It is also not at all certain, that stricter climate policies will seriously harm our competitive position, or lead to companies leaving…supposed dangers that the State put forward in its defense. But even if this were the case these grounds are insufficient to assume that the Netherlands is not neglecting its duty of care.”

2019 01 14: Ruling now available in English: Dutch gov’t loses appeal against Urgenda; Holland’s high court rules gov’t must reduce emissions to protect rights of citizens

2019 07 23: Judicial Tragedy: U.S. District Judge William Alsup wanted to “stick to the science” and avoid politics, presided over standing room only tutorial on climate change, but let big oil off using politics. Science is on humanity’s side, the law is not – because it’s so political!

2019 08 04: Rhode Island vs 21 Oil & Gas Companies: Judge William Smith characterized operations “leading to all kinds of displacement, death (extinctions, even), and destruction….Defendants understood the consequences of their activity decades ago…. But instead of sounding the alarm, Defendants went out of their way to becloud the emerging scientific consensus and further delay changes – however existentially necessary – that would in any way interfere with their multi-billion-dollar profits.”

2019 10 18: BC Tap Water Alliance Press Release: Attribution Science Proves Now is the Time for Canadians to Step Up and Sue the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and the Alberta Energy Regulator for Cumulative Fraud And the Canadian gov’t!

2019 10 22: Lawsuits in USA testing “attribution science.” Researchers can link weather events to emissions and companies responsible. “This body of literature…tells us that dangerous climate change is upon us, and people are suffering and dying…and it’s going to get worse.” For any potential uncertainty about climate attribution, there’s at least one truth that should override the rest: Fossil fuel companies “were aware decades ago what trouble climate change would be.”

2019 06 11: 50 Canadian law profs urge Environment Minister to reject amendments proposed by oil industry to #BILLC69 that undermine rule of law

2019 10 10: Lawsuit Targets Feds’ Failure to Consider Colorado Fracking’s Climate Harm. “And despite several court decisions making it clear that this failure is illegal, the BLM continues to allow oil and gas leasing to go forward without considering the climate impacts.”

2019 12 24: Happy Christmas! Twenty years later, polluters still rule Canada and abuse Canadians

2020 01 22: Another cowardly North American judicial pass the buck? Federal appeals court throws out Juliana v. United States climate lawsuit in 2 to 1 ruling. In her blistering dissent: Judge Josephine Staton criticized the notion that courts have no role to play, saying govt itself acknowledged “the United States has reached a tipping point crying out for a concerted response – yet presses ahead toward calamity.”

2020 01 29: “Bitter denial of justice” is the Canadian Way when it comes to corporate polluters but: Dear Shannon, Québec, Please, keep going! Keep going! Environmental wins in Canada are rare, often tiny, usually insulting to the harmed, but you’ve been treated better by the courts than I have and your lawyers didn’t quit like my lawyers, Murray Klippenstein & Cory Wanless, did.

2020 02 02: Bank in Quebec, Caisse Solidaire, offers Oil-Free RRSPs! 250 professors, including from Calgary, ask Canadian universities to divest from petroleum industry. Laure Waridel: “One of the ways to put the economy at the service of the planet is to review the way we invest.”

2020 02 05: “The stakes are formidable.” California communities’ climate lawsuits, key hearing this Wed, allege fossil fuel companies actively worked to discredit climate science and block limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

2020 05 12: Norges Bank blacklists CNRL, Cenovus (split from Encana – now Ovinvtiv – after Ernst lawsuit filed), Suncor and Imperial Oil from Gov’t Pension Fund Global for unacceptable carbon emissions in Alberta’s tarsands

2020 06 05: Pfffft! What rule of law? Canadian courts have proven that law-violating oil & gas companies are above the law, along with their law-violating, enabling “regulators” and trespassing racist thugs, the RCMP

2020 06 16: The biggest con ever? Millions of abandoned wells enabled by politicians, regulators & courts. Oil, gas ‘n frac industry rapes, profits ‘n runs, hangs the public with clean up, a climate menace & endless health harms & cruelty

2020 11 02: Rest super fund commits to net-zero emission investments after Brisbane man sues

Key points:

– Mark McVeigh sued Rest in 2018 for failing to provide details on how it will minimise the risk of climate change

– Mr McVeigh’s lawyer says the case sets an important precedent

– It’s the first time a superannuation fund has been sued for failing to consider climate change

In 2018, Mark McVeigh sued Rest, his superannuation fund, in the Federal Court after it failed to provide him with information on how it was managing the risks of climate change.

Mr McVeigh alleged Rest had breached the Superannuation Industry Act and the Corporations Act by failing to manage those risks — which could include fossil fuel companies plummeting in value or infrastructure being damaged by extreme weather.

The law requires trustees of super funds to act with care, skill and diligence to act in the best interest of members — including managing material risks to its investment portfolio.

In an 11th-hour settlement reached on Monday while the case was adjourned, Rest agreed its trustees have a duty to manage the financial risks of climate change.

Because the case was settled out of court, the outcome doesn’t carry the same weight as a legal precedent decided in court. But Mr McVeigh’s lawyer, David Barnden, head of Equity Generation Lawyers, said the case still sets an important precedent globally.

“This outcome should represent a significant shift in the market’s willingness to tackle climate risk — a shift which should set a clear precedent for the industry in Australia, and also pension funds around the world,” Mr Barnden said.

Martijn Wilder, a lawyer at Pollination, another climate-focussed law firm, said the settlement meant the impact of the case could fall short of what some were expecting.

“It has not [produced] a clear legal decision by a court which clarifies the obligations and duties of directors under the law,” he said.

“However, there is widespread acceptance in the legal and business community that these obligations regarding climate clearly exist.

In a statement, Rest outlined the agreement it made with Mr McVeigh, and said: “The superannuation industry is a cornerstone of the Australian economy — an economy that is exposed to the financial, physical and transition impacts associated with climate change.”

An historic agreement

In the statement, Rest said that “climate change is a material, direct and current financial risk to the superannuation fund”.

Rest went further and agreed to manage its investments so they would be responsible for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

It also agreed to immediately begin testing its investment strategies against various climate change scenarios, publicly disclose all its holdings and advocate for companies it invests in to comply with the goals of the Paris Agreement, which aims to stop global warming at 1.5C.

The case was the first time an Australian superannuation fund had been sued for not doing enough on climate change.

“Today’s settlement gives me, and Rest’s almost two million members, the reassurance that we need to know that our retirement savings will be invested responsibly in the face of the climate crisis,” said Mr McVeigh.

His lawyer, Mr Barnden said the implications were far-reaching for investors, and for the climate.

“This marks the first time a major Australian superfund has agreed to settle litigation about the material financial risk of climate change and what needs to be done to protect members. It is clear that the buck stops with board members, and managing climate risk cannot be delegated away,” he said. …

In another case, Mr Barnden is representing all young people around the world in a class action against the Australian Environment Minister, alleging she has failed in her duty of care to protect young people from climate change.

Mr Barnden is also representing 23-year-old Katta O’Donnell, who is suing the Australian Government for failing to disclose the risks that climate change could have on government bonds.

Action picking up pace

The news comes amid a wave of developments around the world, indicating increased action on climate change. …

2017 08 10: World governments make citizens pay billions to destroy their own health

2016: How deep into Hell did Harper put Canada? Environment Canada officers failed to uphold the law, ignored infractions to keep in line with Ottawa’s (Harper’s? Encana’s?) “priorities”

2016: B.C. slow to enforce environmental laws; “Vancouver Public Library collects more each year in fines for overdue books than B.C. collects for environmental crimes.” Does any jurisdiction in Canada, federally or provincially, enforce environmental laws promptly, appropriately and fully?

2015: Oil and gas industry pollution travels hundreds of kilometres, No wonder Harper is muzzling Canadian scientists

2015: Scary! Stephen Harper’s courts: How the judiciary in Canada has been remade

2012: Federal court judicial appointment by Harper gov’t

OTTAWA, October 5, 2012 – The Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Michael D. Manson, a lawyer with Smart & Biggar in Vancouver, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court, to replace Mr. Justice D.R. Campbell, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 1, 2011.

Mr. Justice Manson received a Bachelor of Science in 1976 from McGill University and a Diploma in Education in 1978. He received a Bachelor Laws from the University of British Columbia in 1982. He was admitted to the Bars of Ontario in 1984 and British Columbia in 1995.

Mr. Justice Manson has been with the firm Smart & Biggar, both in Ottawa and Vancouver, since 1982 and a partner since 1995. He became a registered trade-mark agent in 1984 and a registered patent agent in 1989. His main area of practice was intellectual property law.

Mr. Justice Manson was a member of both the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He was a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and of the Litigation Counsel of America. He was an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Victoria for 15 years and also at the University of British Columbia. He is the author of more than one hundred articles and papers on intellectual property, trade-mark patents and copyright law. He was a frequent speaker to various organizations nationally and internationally. He was selected Vancouver Intellectual Property Law Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers; Preeminent IP Litigation Lawyer in British Columbia by Benchmark Canada, The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys; and Canadian Outstanding IP Practitioner by Managing Intellectual Property, all in 2012.

This appointment is effective immediately.

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2020 10 21: Judicial Hanky Panky Supreme: “these robed sages are in fact mere grubby politicians….” Amy Coney Barrett’s dad was lawyer at Shell (for decades) that has massive climate case before US supreme court. “And just like Republican politicians, the conservative judges are dedicated to preserving the right’s minority rule.”

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