The Privy Council is refusing to disclose the hourly rates charged by lawyers during the 2022 Freedom Convoy inquiry, according to Access to Information records. Blacklock's Reporter says despite six-figure payments to law firms, the details of the lawyers’ fees remain hidden, with records showing that contribution agreements were based on hours worked rather than specific dollar amounts.The Public Order Emergency Commission, which examined the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act during the convoy protests in Ottawa, initially requested millions in funding to cover legal fees and other expenses. A total of 23 lawyers participated in the inquiry, representing various groups, but the government has only released piecemeal details about their charges.Among the disclosed payments, the largest was $202,959, paid to counsel for the Canadian Constitutional Foundation. Other significant legal expenses included:$157,191 by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association$130,100 by the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs$120,793 by the Convoy Organizer Group$83,128 by the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers$19,140 by the Justice Centre for Constitutional FreedomsSujit Choudhry, one of the lawyers involved, billed the government $334 per night for a room at the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, explaining that the Commission had booked him there. Meanwhile, the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas, represented by Paul Champ, billed $180,517 in legal fees, with Champ also representing residents involved in a $306 million class action lawsuit against the convoy protesters.The inquiry concluded that the government's use of the Emergencies Act was "reasonable." Parliament also endorsed the decision in a 185-151 vote. However, cabinet is appealing a January 2023 Federal Court ruling that its actions were unlawful.The Freedom Convoy inquiry cost $17.5 million in total, a figure significantly lower than other national inquiries. The 2019 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, for example, cost $92 million. The ongoing Commission on Foreign Interference, which has a $11 million budget for initial expenses and 53 lawyers involved, is expected to deliver its final report by December 31, 2024.Justice Marie-Josée Hogue, who heads the foreign interference commission, emphasized the challenges the inquiry faces, particularly regarding classified documents. "I will make every effort to get to the bottom of things and understand what the country has faced in terms of foreign interference," Hogue said.
