NOTE: If you wish to be a signatory to the Petition when it is served to the court please send your contact info to Jane Scharf at janescharf56@gmail.com

************************************************************************

IN THE ONTARIO SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE
161 ELGIN ST. OTTAWA, ONTARIO

PETITION FOR A GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION

RE: SNC-LAVALIN AFFAIR – CRIMINAL OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE & BREACH OF TRUST BY PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU

TO: [Name of Presiding Judge or Chief Justice]
[Name of Court]

PETITIONERS:
[Your Full Legal Name]

[Address]
[Phone Number]
[Email]
[Additional Petitioners’ Names, if applicable]

DATE: [Insert Date]

The undersigned citizen(s) of Canada hereby formally petition this Honorable Court to convene a Grand Jury Investigation in support of the private prosecution filed February 19, 2025 in Ottawa by Democracy Watch into the SNC-Lavalin Affair, particularly concerning allegations of Obstruction of Justice and Breach of Trust by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other involved government officials.

This petition is filed pursuant to common law principles and Section 91(27) of the Constitution Act, 1867, which grants exclusive jurisdiction over criminal law to the federal government and preserves the right of citizens to convene grand juries for the purpose of investigating public corruption and criminal misconduct based on Common Law.. 

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Overview of the SNC-Lavalin Affair

The SNC-Lavalin affair was a major Canadian political scandal that erupted in 2019, involving allegations that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his office pressured then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in a corruption case against SNC-Lavalin, the multinational corporation (one of the ten largest engineering companies in the world) is a Quebec-based engineering firm.

The Corruption Case Against SNC-Lavalin

RCMP charged SNC-Lavalin in 2015 with bribery and serious fraud related to $1.5 billion in illegally obtained contracts in Libya (2001-2011).

SNC-Lavalin was charged under the Criminal Code of Canada with the following offenses:

Fraud (Section 380(1)) – Defrauding the Libyan government and other entities of approximately $130 million.

Bribery of Foreign Officials (Section 3(1)(b) CFPOA) – Paying bribes of $47 million to Libyan officials, including associates of Muammar Gaddafi, to secure contracts.

If convicted of bribery, SNC-Lavalin could have faced a 10-year ban from federal contracts and substantial financial penalties.

Trudeau’s Alleged Political Interference

In 2018, SNC-Lavalin lobbied the Trudeau government for a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) to avoid a criminal trial.
Jody Wilson-Raybould refused to grant the DPA, arguing that the prosecution should proceed.

Trudeau and his aides allegedly pressured her to reconsider, citing job losses and economic impact.

Wilson-Raybould was removed as Attorney General in January 2019, which she later claimed was retaliation.

Fallout & Consequences

Wilson-Raybould testified before Parliament in February 2019, accusing Trudeau’s office of political interference.

The Ethics Commissioner (August 2019) ruled that Trudeau violated ethics laws by improperly pressuring Wilson-Raybould.

SNC-Lavalin Plea Deal (December 2019): The company pleaded guilty to fraud, paid a $280 million CAD fine, and avoided a federal contract ban. The bribery charges were dropped as part of the deal they cut so that a ten year ban would not be impossed. This is the deal  that Trudeau pressured the Attorney General's office to accept.

Allegations Against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Obstruction of Justice (Criminal Code, Section 139(2)): Willful interference with the administration of justice.

Breach of Trust (Criminal Code, Section 122): Public officials using their position for improper purposes.

Findings of the Ethics Commissioner confirmed that Trudeau breached ethical standards and acted improperly.
 

LEGAL BASIS FOR A GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION

Authority of the Court to Convene a Grand Jury

The Grand Jury system is part of Canada’s common law tradition and remains within the jurisdiction of the federal government under Section 91(27) of the Constitution Act, 1867.

Grand juries are part of criminal investigations in Canada as they are part of the common law rights that cannot be overridden by legislation.
Given the gravity of these allegations, the Court has inherent jurisdiction to convene a Grand Jury to review the evidence and determine whether criminal indictments should proceed.

The King v. Lukens (1762): This case from colonial Pennsylvania (then under British rule) involved John Lukens, who was indicted by a grand jury for nuisance without a prosecutor's endorsement. The court ruled that an indictment could proceed without such endorsement if no prosecutor was involved, highlighting the grand jury's independent authority to initiate proceedings.

The Need for an Independent Investigation

The RCMP has failed to disclose any meaningful progress on an investigation into the SNC-Lavalin affair. Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister appointed the commissioner of the RCMP creating undue influence.

Given that the case involves the Prime Minister and high-ranking officials, an impartial body free from political influence is required.
A Grand Jury would provide an independent mechanism for evaluating whether criminal charges should be brought.

Legal Provision: A statute or legal framework authorizes the formation of a grand jury in this case. The Magna Carta (1215) enshrined fundamental legal principles that influenced the development of grand juries and the broader concept of due process. While the Magna Carta itself does not explicitly mention grand juries, it laid the foundation for the common law right to a fair trial and protection from arbitrary prosecution. 

Clause 39 of the Magna Carta states:

“No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.”

This clause established the right to lawful judgment by one’s peers, which later influenced the development of both petit juries (trial juries) and grand juries.

Section 91.27 of the Constitution of Canada placed the Grand Jury under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government which means the provinces had no authority to abolish them.

Grand Jury as a Safeguard Against Arbitrary Prosecution:

The concept of a group of citizens determining whether charges should proceed can be traced to Magna Carta’s protection against unlawful punishment.

Over time, English legal tradition developed grand juries as a means to ensure that prosecutions had a basis in law and evidence, rather than being politically or arbitrarily motivated.

Codification in English Law:

By the 14th century, grand juries became a formal part of English criminal procedure, requiring a group of peers to determine if there was sufficient evidence to indict someone.

This practice was carried into British colonial law and later influenced the legal systems of Canada and the United States.

Grand Juries in Canada and Magna Carta’s Influence:

Canada inherited the grand jury system from English common law. They have been phased out.  Magna Carta still protects against arbitrary prosecution through due process rights under common law and procedural safeguards in criminal proceedings.

Due Process: Also the Canadian Bill of Rights section 1(a) requires due process and the Grand Jury is part of due process.

Public Interest: Grand juries were convened to investigate matters of significant public concern, especially when regular investigative bodies faced limitations.

Judicial Discretion: Judges had the authority to summon a grand jury when they deemed it necessary for justice. 

EVIDENCE SUBMITTED BY DEMOCRACY WATCH

The private prosecution filed this week by Democracy Watch includes the following evidence:

Jody Wilson-Raybould’s sworn testimony before the House Justice Committee detailing sustained political pressure from Trudeau and his officials.

Ethics Commissioner’s report (August 2019) confirming that Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act and acted improperly.
Emails, text messages, and internal government documents showing SNC-Lavalin’s direct lobbying efforts with Trudeau’s office.

Parliamentary transcripts and committee reports documenting the obstruction of justice efforts.

Legal analysis from constitutional experts affirming that Trudeau’s conduct constitutes a breach of trust under Section 122 of the Criminal Code.

RELIEF REQUESTED

WHEREFORE, the Petitioners respectfully request that this Honorable Court:

Convene a Grand Jury under this Court’s common law jurisdiction to investigate whether criminal charges should be laid against:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Senior government officials involved in obstruction of justice
Other parties who participated in interfering with the Attorney General’s decision,

Issue a Court Order directing the Sheriff to select and summon grand jurors.

Subpoena Key Witnesses, including:

Jody Wilson-Raybould
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Gerald Butts (former Principal Secretary)
Katie Telford (Chief of Staff)
Bill Morneau (former Minister of Finance)
SNC-Lavalin executives

Authorize the Grand Jury to hear evidence from the Crown and relevant investigative bodies.
Ensure the Integrity of the Investigation by protecting jurors from political pressure. 

CONCLUSION

The SNC-Lavalin affair represents one of the most serious allegations of political interference in Canada’s judicial system. A Grand Jury investigation is necessary to impartially assess the case and restore public confidence in the administration of justice.

Respectfully submitted,
[Your Full Legal Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Information]
[Additional Petitioners, if applicable]

External links

Butts, Gerald (6 March 2019). "Gerald Butts' Statement to the House Justice Committee" – via medium.com. 

Department of Justice (6 October 2017). "Conflict of Interest Act". Justice Laws Website. Department of Justice. Retrieved 13 September 2019.

Dion, Mario (14 August 2019). "Trudeau II Report" (PDF). ciec-ccie.parl.gc.ca. Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2019.

Philpott, Jane (4 March 2019). "Resignation Statement from the Hon. Jane Philpott" – via ctvnews.ca.

Wernick, Michael (6 March 2019). "(Second) Statement by Michael Wernick, Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights" – via canada.ca.

Wilson-Raybould, Jody (12 February 2019). "Resignation Statement from the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould" – via nationalpost.com.

Wilson-Raybould, Jody (27 February 2019). "Full Statement from the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould at the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights" – via nationalpost.com.

Wilson-Raybould, Jody (26 March 2019). "Further submissions from the Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould at the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights" (PDF) – via ourcommons.azureedge.net.

Phone recording between Jody Wilson Raybould and the clerk of the privy council regarding a resolution deal for SNC Lavalin regarding bribery and fraud. https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/newsalert-justice-committee-releases-texts-recording-from-wilson-raybould

BACKGROUND INFO

DEMOCRACY WATCH REGARDING PRIVATE PROSECUTION OF TRUDEAU FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND BREACH OF TRUST REGARDING THE SNC LAVALIN AFFAIR- VIDEO: https://youtu.be/8C_zM1Kj8tA

HISTORY OF GRAND JURY: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15s8vFPVkFBP1TUMM7zZ55jPuslTRlL3Zk3ugzCJ76Wc/edit?usp=sharing