Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General stayed a private prosecution Monday of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau related to the SNC-Lavalin scandal, where he faced obstruction of justice and breach of trust allegations.

Democracy Watch, an ethics watchdog, filed a February 19 application with the Ontario Court of Justice, citing a "weak" and "incomplete" RCMP investigation into the matter.

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On September 29, the Complex Prosecutions Bureau's Director, John Corelli, announced the application's halt, stating “no reasonable prospect” of proving Trudeau's criminal intent.

SNC-Lavalin, which rebranded to AtkinsRéalis in 2023, agreed to pay a $280 million penalty after pleading guilty to a fraud charge in 2019. The agreement resolved the criminal case.

Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher criticizes the RCMP’s handling of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.

Democracy Watch will be filing an application in the Ontario Court of Justice for court approval to pursue private prosecution of allegations of obstruction of justice and breach… pic.twitter.com/zVjRzHVeaP

— Juno News (@junonewscom) February 19, 2025

Democracy Watch criticized the decision, stating Corelli used the same “incorrect” legal standard as the RCMP in not prosecuting Trudeau for obstruction of justice. 

Democracy Watch's Duff Conacher demanded a "full and public explanation" from Corelli, leading Corelli to seek judicial oversight. This would involve reviewing RCMP evidence and questioning Jody Wilson-Raybould and her former chief of staff to determine if prosecution is warranted.

The ethics watchdog noted key records were withheld and only four of 15 witnesses interviewed. They also argued the RCMP had a "massive conflict of interest" due to the Prime Minister appointing its commissioners.

In a 2021 memo, the Mounties admitted to political pressure regarding SNC-Lavalin but deemed it harmless without a technical violation. 

In May, Democracy Watch’s request for Ontario's Attorney General to form an independent committee to review prosecution evidence was not fulfilled.

RCMP ignored pleas to broaden SNC-Lavalin investigation, reviving interference claims

RCMP top brass also did not pursue criminal charges against Trudeau for the alleged coverup, though interference allegations emerged in February of 2019.https://t.co/9ypJVsAMQh

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 19, 2025

The RCMP earlier accepted the Liberal cabinet’s restricted disclosure order decreeing that the authorization to waive solicitor-client privilege would not extend to any information or communications between Wilson-Raybould and the director of public prosecutions concerning SNC-Lavalin.

Wilson-Raybould's confidential September 10, 2019 interview, released February 19, reveals her unsuccessful lobbying of the RCMP to investigate Trudeau, who pressured her regarding the 2018 SNC-Lavalin affair. The federal police service only interviewed three other persons of interest, excluding Trudeau.

Corelli stopped the case against Trudeau, stating it was not "in the public interest" to hear informant evidence, and new evidence was unlikely given the RCMP's review. 

The RCMP "never considered prosecuting anyone for breach of trust," despite evidence of executives admitting to $47.7 million in bribes. Democracy Watch argued the Crown only needs to prove the offender acted “willfully” to frustrate justice, not criminal intent.

Wilson-Raybould was shuffled from Justice to Veteran Affairs in January 2019, then left cabinet after an ethics investigation, and was later removed from caucus.

Even Justin Trudeau has lost count of his scandals. Watch him fumble as he responds to Pierre Poilievre's question about a criminal investigation into SNC Lavalin before reciting a talking point about an ongoing ArriveCAN app investigation. pic.twitter.com/HEA4TnSvrh

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) October 26, 2023

The RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme and Sergeant Frédéric Pincince had "limited" access to information regarding the scandal, as the Privy Council Office denied them access. Duheme stated on February 28 that they still lack full information.

Trudeau also faced questions on blocking access to cabinet confidences. Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre linked Duheme’s remarks to potential future document disclosure in ArriveCan investigations.

“The Opposition is digging into the past to try and bring up things that were settled many years ago,” said Trudeau.

Epoch Times attempted to reach the RCMP for comment but did not hear back at the time of writing.