The City of Surrey has lost the judicial review related to the Surrey policing transition. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said Thursday afternoon that the City乌鸦传媒檚 legal team is digesting the judge乌鸦传媒檚 decision and council will weigh its options.

Justice Kevin Loo of the B.C. Supreme Court on Thursday released his decision on the City乌鸦传媒檚 petition aimed at quashing Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth乌鸦传媒檚 July 19, 2023 order that the RCMP must be replaced by the Surrey Police Service.

Loo heard final submissions May 3, following a five-day hearing that began April 29 in Vancouver.

In his 26-page reasons for judgment, Loo addressed the City乌鸦传媒檚 argument that the Police Amendment Act, 2023 (PAA) infringed on Surrey voters乌鸦传媒� right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

乌鸦传媒淚 have concluded that although voting is undoubtedly a protected activity, the 乌鸦传媒榬esult乌鸦传媒� or 乌鸦传媒榤andate乌鸦传媒� arising from the 2022 municipal election are not activities which fall within the protected sphere of conduct guaranteed,乌鸦传媒� Loo decided.

乌鸦传媒淩egardless of whether the July decision was reasonable or within the Minister乌鸦传媒檚 authority, the provincial legislature乌鸦传媒檚 exercise of its authority over the City in respect of policing, through its enactment of the PAA, was valid.乌鸦传媒�

Locke said the court challenge revealed 乌鸦传媒渉uge holes乌鸦传媒� in the transition to the SPS 乌鸦传媒渙n multiple levels乌鸦传媒� and the 乌鸦传媒渢rue cost will have an extremely, extremely onerous impact on the City of Surrey and especially Surrey taxpayers.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚 haven乌鸦传媒檛 said we are going to appeal and I haven乌鸦传媒檛 said we are not going to appeal,乌鸦传媒� she stressed. 乌鸦传媒淚 didn乌鸦传媒檛 say we are going to continue with the fight.乌鸦传媒� If there were no transition, she added, 乌鸦传媒渢here would have been no 乌鸦传媒� zero 乌鸦传媒� tax increase in the City of Surrey in 2024.乌鸦传媒�

Farnworth held his press conference Thursday morning. 乌鸦传媒淭oday Justice Loo ruled in favour of the transition of the Surrey Police Service continuing,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭he safety of the people in Surrey and across British Columbia has always been my main priority.乌鸦传媒�

Farnworth held a press conference Thursday morning to announce that 乌鸦传媒渢oday Justice Loo ruled in favour of the transition of the Surrey Police Service continuing. The safety of the people in Surrey and across British Columbia has always been my main priority.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淧eople of Surrey want this to be over and I乌鸦传媒檓 hopeful that today乌鸦传媒檚 ruling is the time to come together and work towards completing the transition to the Surrey Police Service,乌鸦传媒� Farnworth said. 乌鸦传媒淧olice officers no matter the uniform that they wear dedicate their lives to keeping people safe and I know that today乌鸦传媒檚 ruling provides certainty to them and their families. To officers in the Surrey RCMP detachment, I know that work is already underway to ensure that your preferred placements are considered and my ministry is working closely with the RCMP as the transition continues.乌鸦传媒�

Farnworth told reporters it乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒減retty clear乌鸦传媒� in terms of the arguments the City brought before Loo 乌鸦传媒渁nd the judge dismissed them. That乌鸦传媒檚 it in a nutshell.乌鸦传媒�

In April Farnworth said the SPS will replace the RCMP as the city乌鸦传媒檚 police of jurisdiction on Nov. 29, 2024 and the transition will be complete within two to two-and-a-half years.

Locke announced in November that the City would challenge in court the 乌鸦传媒榗onstitutionality乌鸦传媒� of the provincial government乌鸦传媒檚 decision to replace the Surrey RCMP with the Surrey Police Service.

On Oct. 13, the City of Surrey filed its first petition with the Supreme Court of British Columbia. An amended petition to the Oct. 13 filing was then submitted to the court on Nov. 20 with Locke characterizing it as a 乌鸦传媒渟ignificant step to stop the NDP police service乌鸦传媒� and a reply to the provincial government乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒渁ttempted police takeover, which would require a double digit 乌鸦传媒� double digit 乌鸦传媒� NDP tax hike on Surrey taxpayers.乌鸦传媒�

As for the City, Farnworth said Thursday, 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 really like them to be at the table.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e made it clear that the $150 million is there,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 think it would be really important if the City of Surrey is at the table working to ensure the transition is completed as smoothly and as quickly as possible,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭his has been a very challenging issue I think for everybody and with today乌鸦传媒檚 decision what I would like and I think the people of Surrey would want to see happen is that the City of Surrey comes to the table.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淲hat matters the most is that the people of Surrey want this over and now with this court ruling they want the transition to continue with the City of Surrey working in collaboration with the Province,乌鸦传媒� Farnworth said. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檒l be great if the City of Surrey is there but the transition is moving forward.乌鸦传媒�

Asked if he乌鸦传媒檚 anticipating the City will appeal Loo乌鸦传媒檚 decision, Farnworth replied he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 know what the City intends to do. 乌鸦传媒淚 expect that they will be reviewing it and any decisions, you know, they will decide what to do from there. I think what乌鸦传媒檚 important is the people of Surrey want this over and this decision certainly indicates that, you know what, it乌鸦传媒檚 over.乌鸦传媒�

Locke said the extra cost to fund the transition will be in the range of $75 million more per year and this will have a negative impact on taxation and infrastructure projects as well. 乌鸦传媒淭he biggest concern for us right now is the enormous tax burden that is in front of us, the $75 million dollars,乌鸦传媒� Locke said, adding that 乌鸦传媒�$75 million is forever, and that will only escalate. We are looking at a generational decision that is being imposed on our city.乌鸦传媒�