Supreme Court of Canada to issue decision in Robinson Treaties case

Canada’s apical tribunal is group to rumor a determination this greeting successful a lawsuit astir Crown payments nether nan Robinson Huron Treaties that person been stiff for almost 150 years.

The treaties were signed successful 1850, ceding a ample swath of onshore to nan Crown successful return for yearly payments to nan Anishinaabe of Lakes Huron and Superior.

The treaties included a clause that states nan payments should summation complete time, truthful agelong arsenic nan Crown did not incur a loss, but they person been stiff astatine $4 per personification since 1875.

An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled nan Crown violated nan treaties and that it had a mandatory and reviewable responsibility to raise nan payments arsenic nan onshore was developed.

The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld astir of nan proceedings judge’s findings, ruling that nan Crown violated its committedness to stock assets revenues.

The Crown appealed and nan lawsuit was heard successful nan Supreme Court of Canada successful December.

The first claims successful nan lawsuit were revenge successful 2001 and 2014. Subsequently, nan Lake Huron group entered into negotiations pinch nan governments of Ontario and Canada.

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Both governments person conceded they are successful longstanding breach of their obligations to summation nan payments complete time.

In June 2023, nan Robinson Huron litigation group reached a $10-billion colony pinch the Ontario and Canadian governments for past claims. It has not yet dealt pinch nan rumor of really overmuch nan payments should beryllium going forward.

That colony was finalized successful February, pinch nan tribunal agreeing that Ontario and Canada should each salary $5 billion. The national authorities has group speech backing and nan woody will return effect sloppy of nan Supreme Court’s determination successful this case.

The Robinson Superior group has asked for much than $126 cardinal successful damages.