Trump’s tariff threat could force Canada to face tough decisions on sovereignty
targeting them,\” he said. \”That\’s an issue.\”
The other case, R v. Jordan, set strict limits on how long a person can be detained before their trial begins. The ruling was intended to speed up the justice system, but its unintended consequence has been to put pressure on the Crown to drop cases that are seen as taking too long to bring to trial.
Chrustie said that the Jordan decision made cross-border investigations even more difficult.
\”When you\’re looking at a global investigation … it takes time to get the evidence from one country to the next,\” he said. \”You\’re seeing criminals that are getting off on technicalities because of the time that it takes to get that evidence.\”
Both Chrustie and Asher said that the U.S. is likely to push Canada to amend its laws to allow for more flexibility in sharing information with foreign law enforcement agencies, and to speed up the justice system to prevent cases from being thrown out due to delays.
The question now is whether Canada will be willing to make the changes that the U.S. is likely to demand. As Dade pointed out, Canada and Mexico have different approaches to dealing with American pressure, and it remains to be seen how the Trudeau government will respond to the Trump administration\’s demands.
What is clear, however, is that the relationship between the U.S. and its North American neighbors is entering a new phase, one in which sovereignty and security concerns are likely to take center stage. As Canada and Mexico navigate this new terrain, they will have to balance the need to protect their sovereignty with the imperative of maintaining cross-border trade and cooperation.
