Supreme Court Pledge (Phase 1 - Filing Appeal)

PLEDGE GOAL REACHED!

Thanks to everyone who pledged financial support for going to the Supreme Court if we are granted leave to appeal. We have now reached our pledge goal for this, but are leaving this page open both for reference and for anyone who wants to join in at this stage (e.g., in case some of our original pledgers end up being unable to fulfill their original pledges).

=================================== 

Thanks for Funding "Leave to Appeal" Application:

Thanks to the amazing support of over 1400 contributors, we have raised enough money over the past five years (about $300,000 in total!) to file the Charter Challenge for Fair Voting, have it heard in the Ontario Superior Court, have our appeal heard in the Ontario Court of Appeal, and file a Leave to Appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada (all of which we've done).

Clock Ticking (Soon):

Whether we actually get to present and argue our case in front of the Supreme Court depends on what they decide about our Leave to Appeal application (decision expected in spring 2026). But once they decide, a clock starts ticking - we'll have 30 days to submit our Notice of Appeal, and another 60 days to file the appeal argument, and it will cost about $35,000 to do these things. It will then cost a further $25,000 to actually get ready to appear in court, including interacting with potential interveners in the case (other organizations that make "friend of the court" submissions that help clarify the issues involved).

Getting Ready:

We want to be completely ready to go if the Supreme Court decides to allow an appeal, and that means knowing that we have the financial backing to proceed, but we don't want our supporters to have to contribute before we know for sure if the Supreme Court will hear an appeal. That's why we're running a pledge campaign instead of asking you for money now.

Pledge Your Support for Phase 1 - Filing Appeal:

So, to support us in Phase 1 if the Supreme Court says they'll hear an appeal, simply fill out the pledge form below. We'll only ask you to make good on your pledge if the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case, so you won't need to make a payment today, and you'll have a chance to change your mind later, but it will really encourage us (and let us put our full attention towards preparing the case) if you let us know now that we have your backing. If you'd also like to pledge to support us in Phase 2 (actually appearing before the SCC, likely in 2026), please click here as well.

"When Will You Want My Money?"

When the SCC issues its decision about hearing an appeal (likely in spring 2026), and if it's favourable, we'll email all Phase 1 pledgers and ask them to make their contribution so that we can get right to work. In the meantime, please consider supporting our ongoing work by contributing to our "Operating and Future Initiatives" Fund.

Who's pledging

Shannon Berch
Patricia McGrail
Jeannette Horsfield
Renny Schweiger
Cody Sharpe
Bruce Lemire-Elmore
Terry Heisler
Laurence Gill
Jennifer Dawes
Thomas Leckman
Beverley Christensen
david walmark
Jessica Ravenscroft
Sandra Smeds
Judith Hammill
Stephen Chitty
Tom Cullen
Michael Moore
Alan Crook
John Dafoe
Martin Field
Colin Creasey
Jonathan Lomas
Peter Lake
Terry Heisler
Greig Crockett
Joan payne
Michael Fischer
Colin Margetts
Christopher Heap
$35,486.00 pledged
$35,000.00

How much would you like to pledge to contribute for Phase 1 of the appeal to the Supreme Court?



Like and Follow

- - -

Key Events in the Case:

  • We're currently waiting for the Supreme Court's decision on allowing an appeal
  • We filed our reply to the government in November 2025
  • We submitted our application to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal in October 2025
  • Justice Huscroft dismissed our appeal in August 2025
  • We submitted a response in March 2025 re: the relevance of the SCC Working Families case
  • We presented our appeal in the Court of Appeal for Ontario in November 2024
  • We submitted our appeal factum in April 2024
  • We filed our Notice of Appeal in December 2023
  • Justice Ed Morgan issued his ruling in November 2023 and unfortunately dismissed our application
  • The case was heard in September 2023 in the Ontario Superior Court
  • We received the government's affidavits in fall 2022
  • We served the government with our affidavit and evidence package in May 2021
  • We filed the case with the Ontario Superior Court in October 2019

How you can help

The main way you can help is to support the case financially. We are now asking for pledges totalling $60,000 to support us appealing to the Supreme Court of Canada, if they grant us leave to appeal (possibly in mid-2026).

What to expect

At each step, we set new pledge or donation goals based on our estimate of the costs for the next stage of the process, and invite our supporters to contribute towards that goal to ensure the case can continue to move forward. We don't ask for or collect funds until we're sure we're going to take the associated step.