Embattled city councillor loses case in Ontario court, ordered to pay costs of $30,000

Controversial Pickering Councillor Lisa Robinson has lost her judicial review case against the city, with Corporate Services Director Paul Bigioni calling the decision a “complete victory” for the city.

In addition to the Ontario Divisional Court’s decision to dismiss Robinson’s application for compensation, Robinson has been to ordered pay the City of Pickering costs of $30,000.

Robinson was disciplined multiple times in her first term in office and had her pay docked by Pickering’s Integrity Commissioner each time. She then applied for two judicial reviews – against the Integrity Commissioner (Principles Integrity) and the city of Pickering – and asked the court for compensation.

The review (the two reviews were merged into one) was held in September, with the ruling coming down in the city’s favour this week.

The application to set the ruling by Principles Integrity aside was dismissed and the financial penalty to Robinson was found to be “reasonable” and upheld by the court.

As well, all the applicant’s allegations of bias were rejected by the court and the applicant’s argument that her freedom of expression was infringed was rejected. The ruling declared that the city’s Code of Conduct and the Integrity Commissioner’s findings and recommendations represented “a reasonable, balanced and proportionate limit on the applicant’s right to freedom of expression.”

Robinson has been contacted for comment on this story.