Federal Court rejects Quebec professor’s bid to condemn Ottawa’s Saudi arms deal
OTTAWA — The Federal Court has dismissed a challenge by a Quebec law professor to condemn the federal government’s $15-billion sale of light armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia.
University of Montreal law professor Daniel Turp, a former Bloc Quebecois MP, challenged export permits authorizing the deal, saying Saudi Arabia’s poor human rights record should give the court the ability to review it.
Justice Daniele Tremblay-Lamer ruled that the court’s role was not to “pass moral judgment” on the decision by then-foreign affairs minister Stephane Dion to issue export permits allowing the deal.
She said the court simply had to ensure that the decision was legal.