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Julia Wilkes and Sean Pierce have once again successfully represented the City of Pickering and its Integrity Commissioner in a third application for judicial review of sanctions imposed on Councillor Lisa Robinson for breaches of Pickering’s Code of Conduct.

In Robinson v. The Corporation of the City of Pickering, 2026 ONSC 451 (Div Ct), Councillor Robinson sought judicial review of a 90-day suspension of pay imposed on her arising out of her conduct at a town hall meeting at a City-owned community centre. The Integrity Commissioner found, among other things, that Councillor Robinson made statements during the town hall meeting with “the goal of discrediting and disparaging City staff, and casting doubt on and undermining the public’s trust and confidence in the City as a whole.”

In reasons released earlier this year on January 23, 2026, the Divisional Court found that there had been no breach of procedural fairness and that the Integrity Commissioner’s findings were reasonable. The Divisional Court also dismissed Councillor Robinson’s claims under ss. 2(b), 7 and 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In particular, the Divisional Court concluded that the goal of ensuring City staff are treated with dignity and promoting public trust in the City outweighed any limit to Councillor Robinson’s freedom of expression.