Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, addresses a press conference in Vancouver BC, March 30, 2011, to comment on being barred from the election leaders debate by TV companies.
A court will decide next week whether to hear a motion from the Green Party of Canada designed to get Leader Elizabeth May into nationally-broadcast federal leaders' debates.
The party wants the court to review a 1995 ruling by the CRTC, the agency that regulates broadcasting, that stipulates debate organizers have no obligation to include every candidate.
The party will appear before the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa on Tuesday morning in hopes of persuading the court to hear the case before the debates, which are scheduled for the following week. If the court rules in the party's favour, it will have to hold an additional court date to hear arguments on whether or not to review the CRTC rule.
The party will be represented by Peter Rosenthal, a prominent Toronto civil rights lawyer.
Ms. May was included in the election debates before the 2008 federal election, when her party held a seat in the House of Commons. But the consortium of broadcasters that organizes the debates has decided not to invite her this time.
The Greens have not yet decided whether they will continue to pursue the case if the court declines to hear it before the debate, a party spokesman said Friday evening.
The first debate will be held in English on April 12. The second, in French, will occur April 14.