Canada's Supreme Court decision has little impact on other federal environmental moves: expert say

Some legal experts say a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that found much of Ottawa's environmental assessment law unconstitutional will have no impact on other federal moves such as clean electricity regulations or oilsands emissions caps.

Some legal experts say a Supreme Court of Canada ruling that found much of Ottawa's environmental assessment law unconstitutional will have no impact on other federal moves such as clean electricity regulations or oilsands emissions caps.

"It will be an uphill fight for Alberta to challenge new greenhouse gas emission law, and Friday's decision doesn't change that," said Stewart Elgie, a professor of law and economics at the University of Ottawa.

Elgie said environmental regulation in Canada continues to be a work in progress.

"There's always some constitutional risk in drafting new federal environmental law," he said. "You're trying to predict what the courts will say about it."