Court quashes bid for Alberta independence referendum in favour of First Nations treaty rights – OKT LLP
May 15, 2026
In a decision delivered May 13th, 2026, Justice Shaina Leonard of the Alberta Court of King’s Bench (the “Court”) has quashed the Chief Electoral Officer of Alberta’s (“CEO”) approval of an initiative petition on Alberta independence under the Citizens Initiative Act (“CIA”) put forward by separatists in Alberta.1 The initiative petition, if successful, would have triggered a province-wide referendum on Alberta independence.
This decision represents a substantial win for Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (“ACFN”) and other First Nations in Alberta, who have been fighting tirelessly for the Alberta government to recognize the threat Alberta independence poses to treaty rights in the province and to protect their constitutional rights.
