Federal Court upholds Ottawa’s right to pull out of Kyoto accord
MONTREAL — The Federal Court has upheld the right of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government to withdraw from the Kyoto accord last December.
The court ruled against a challenge by former Bloc Quebecois MP Daniel Turp, who argued the provinces should have been consulted about the decision to pull out of the climate-change accord.
Justice Simon Noel said it was not up to Turp, who is now a law professor, to speak on behalf of the provinces.
Turp believes the federal government had no right to make a unilateral decision.
Noel says Ottawa’s action did not violate the principle of separation of powers.
He ruled the federal government is not obliged to consult Parliament in such a case and pointed out that executive powers give it the right to pull out of an international treaty.
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