Canada is sliding toward a breakdown in democratic norms and respect for the rule of law, according to a new Law Commission report that claims civic ignorance and institutional mistrust are undermining the country’s political foundations.Blacklock's Reporter says the report, What We Heard: July to December 2025, draws on interviews with MPs, senators, judges, lawyers, and academics, concluding Canada is not immune from the democratic erosion seen elsewhere. “We are witnessing a general erosion of democratic norms, our economic system and rule of law,” the Commission wrote, adding that a “broad decline in civic literacy” is accelerating democratic decay.The report offered no specific case studies but warned that democracy weakens when institutions escape scrutiny. “Public institutions do not work unless they are reviewed and accountable,” it said.The commission also cautioned that populism feeds on public resentment when institutions are viewed as elite-controlled and interchangeable. “If populism is based on perceived divisions between ‘the people’ and ‘the elites,’ a self-perpetuating problem is created,” the report said, noting this perception fuels alienation among citizens who feel excluded from power..According to the findings, disengagement is worsening because Canadians increasingly lack understanding of why political and legal issues matter. “If people do not know why they should care about an issue, it is unlikely that they will,” the report stated, warning that complacency is dangerous even in established democracies. “Canada cannot afford to be complacent. We are not immune to the trends that threaten rule of law in other countries.”The report follows a 2024 Access to Information memo from the Department of Public Safety that acknowledged “growing evidence” Canadians are losing trust in public institutions. While that memo posed questions about the causes of mistrust and how to restore confidence, it provided no answers..A companion memo from the Privy Council Office placed much of the blame on the internet, arguing online disinformation erodes public confidence. “One of the harms that is most closely linked to online disinformation is the harm it poses to measures of trust or confidence in democratic institutions,” it said.However, a separate 2023 Values and Ethics Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council pointed the finger inward, suggesting government itself bears responsibility for declining confidence since the pandemic. “Measures of decreasing confidence in Canada’s democracy are cause for concern,” the report said, noting Canadians expect publicly funded institutions to deliver services effectively and efficiently.The ethics report concluded pandemic-era changes to the public service damaged trust, raised expectations, and reduced satisfaction with government performance. It also highlighted what it called a “lack of consequences and accountability” for mismanagement or corruption, adding there is a widespread perception of a double standard within public institutions.
