Jennifer Rice misconduct probe court date after next Edmonton election

Article content

The investigation into city Coun. Jennifer Rice for alleged misconduct is unlikely to be resolved in time to give Edmonton voters a full picture before the next municipal election.

Rice successfully obtained court orders in August to stop a sanctioning hearing against her and prevent the publication of a report finding she broke council’s code of conduct until after a judicial review.

Article content

The review is scheduled for May 6, 2026, court records obtained by Postmedia show.

Edmonton’s next municipal election is Oct. 20, 2025.

The councillor for Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi has argued the investigation by the city’s integrity commissioner was unfair, and members of city council who may have participated may be biased against her. The investigative report substantiated four allegations of harassment and one of discrimination made by one of Rice’s former employees. But Rice’s lawyers argued the findings are unreasonable. Allegations have not been proven in court.

Postmedia interviewed five of Rice’s former employees last fall who accused her of bullying, disorganization and creating a hostile work environment in her office which has seen unusually high turnover.

Asked if she is running for re-election, Rice did not respond on Tuesday.

Janice Schroeder, a spokesperson for the City of Edmonton, said the court date was the earliest provided.

“The court provides available dates and the parties then choose a date. Because this is a judicial review, the courts require that a full day be booked. Since this was a judicial review and not an emergency hearing, May 2026 was the earliest date provided by the courts,” Schroeder stated.

Article content

Article content

Court proceedings can sometimes be sped up if an expedited hearing is requested and granted.

Asked if the City of Edmonton asked for an expedited hearing ahead of the next municipal election, Schroeder suggested it’s up to Rice and the integrity commissioner’s office to do so.

“City administration has not asked for an expedited judicial review. The parties named in the suit (the integrity commissioner and the councillor) would be in a position to take that action,” she wrote.

Rice was also asked if she requested an expedited review, to no response.

Unresolved for voters

Lawyer Avnish Nanda said getting a court date so far in the future is not unusual because Alberta’s court system “is backed up.”

“There is definitely an argument that it has a public interest and it should be heard soon, but if no one is pushing for that, it’s not going to happen,” he said.

Even so, he thinks the delay isn’t a good thing.

“I think it’s troublesome, but I think it’s part of and parcel of the broader access to justice issue within the civil justice system in Alberta, particularly in Edmonton where there’s not enough resources federally, provincially, to address the backlog.”

Article content

Michael DeMoor, political science professor at Kings University, said it’s unfortunate the review won’t happen before the next municipal election because it leaves the issue unsettled for voters.

“It’s almost that voters have to ask different questions, like do they want to support this candidate who has this hanging over their head? Rather than who was either in the right or (wrong) in their conduct in this dispute. And those are different questions.”

As well, he said, it restricts politicians on what they can say knowing that the issue still hasn’t been wrapped up.

DeMoor said the way council members respond to the integrity commissioner’s office and investigations is important.

He considers going to court to overturn an investigation a serious matter that could undermine that process.

“It needs to be respected if it’s to have any kind of meaningful power in checking behaviour,” DeMoor said. “It should be a serious thing for a councillor to respond to the integrity commissioner by appealing it over their heads, by bringing that to the courts.”

[email protected]

Article content

@laurby

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.

Article content