National News
President and CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat Nicholas Marcus Thompson speaks during a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Federal government has spent more than $15M fighting Black class-action lawsuit
Published 12:36 PDT, Thu October 30, 2025
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The federal government has spent more than $15 million fighting a class-action lawsuit filed by Black public servants, documents filed in Parliament show.
A document prepared by the Department of Justice says the government's legal costs amounted to approximately $15,024,452 as of September.
The proposed class action lawsuit was launched by Black public servants in 2020 who alleged systemic racism within the public service.
A Federal Court judge earlier this year dismissed a motion to certify the lawsuit, which sought $2.5 billion in damages because of lost salaries and promotions.
The parliamentary document says the total includes legal services to support the preservation of records covering 99 departments and agencies, examinations, Canada’s response to the plaintiffs' motions and Canada’s motion to strike the claim.
The total has almost doubled since 2023, when the government had spent nearly $8 – Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
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