Judge Rules Police Violated Indigenous Leaders’ Rights over Coastal GasLink Pipeline in Canada

February 21, 2025 – A judge in Canada ruled this week that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) used excessive force and violated the rights of three Indigenous land defenders after they held protests to oppose the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline.   

Sleydo' (Molly Wickham), a wing chief of the Gidimt'en Clan of the Wet'suwet'en Nation, Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet'suwet'en family ties, and Corey Jocko, who is Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Akwesasne, all brought an abuse of process application to the court this January. 

Their application argued that actions by the police had violated The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects fundamental rights and freedoms for all Canadians. Their allegations were supported by the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

The judge, in his ruling, cited the police conduct as, “[...] extremely serious involving racism directed towards Indigenous women, that is a group that has been systemically disadvantaged through all sectors of the criminal justice system for generations.”

Global Climate Legal Defense (CliDef), a legal organization and funder working worldwide to defend climate defenders, provided support to Sleydo’s legal defense team throughout the case.  

“We have proudly supported Sleydo’s defense because Indigenous people have the right to protect their land and our planet, and they should be able to do so without suffering abuse,” said Betsy Apple, Executive Director of CliDef. “This decision is significant. Canada’s courts have ruled that excessive force and racism will not be tolerated against climate activists in their country. Other Western democracies should take note of this week’s decision.”

Throughout 2019 and 2020, the Wet'suwet'en and supporters protested the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which would transport natural gas from northeastern British Columbia to the west coast and run directly through Wet’suwet’en tribal land without their permission. 

In February 2020, the RCMP enforced a court-ordered injunction to remove protestors from the land defenders’ camp, which was set up to block construction of the pipeline. Images of their violent removal led to widespread protest and debate across Canada about Indigenous sovereignty and the rights of First Nations to maintain control over their territorial land, particularly in the face of fossil fuel infrastructure development. Their story has been documented in the recent Netflix film, Yintah. 

Last year, Justice Michael Tammen ruled that the three leaders had violated an injunction against blocking work on the pipeline. Injunctions orders are increasingly being used worldwide by fossil fuel companies and courts to prevent people from protesting at fossil fuel infrastructure sites and developments. 

The judge will now consider a reduction in sentencing for the abuse of process. The court will set the land defenders’ sentencing date on April 3rd, 2025.