Justice Kent’s investigation will determine whether Madu’s phone call to Chief Dale McFee on March 10, 2021, after receiving a traffic ticket, constituted interference or an attempt to interfere with the administration of justice.

She will report her findings to the deputy minister of Executive Council by Feb. 15. The results of her investigation will be made public.

About Justice Kent

After completing studies in political science, Justice Kent attended law school at the University of Alberta, graduating with a bachelor of laws in 1977. She was admitted to the Alberta bar in 1978. She practised law in Edmonton and then in Calgary, focusing her practice in the latter years on health law and construction litigation.

Justice Kent was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta in February 1994. She has served as a member of several committees of the court, including the Media Relations Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee. She was also a member of the Public Information Committee of the Canadian Judicial Council and the National Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics, first as a member and then as co-chair. In August 2014, Justice Kent was appointed executive director of the National Judicial Institute (NJI), retitled chief judicial officer. Prior to her appointment, she worked on several NJI courses on judicial ethics, science and civil law. She also assisted the judiciary in other countries in the design of judicial education courses.

She retired from the Court of Queen’s Bench in 2021.

Quick facts

Here are the terms of reference for Justice Kent’s investigation:

The Honourable Adèle Kent (the Investigator) will conduct an independent investigation into a phone call from the Honourable Kaycee Madu, QC, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, to Chief Dale McFee, Chief of Police for the Edmonton Police Service, on or about March 10, 2021, in relation to a traffic ticket issued to Minister Madu on March 10, 2021 (the Phone Call).

The Investigator will determine, considering both the content and context of the Phone Call, whether:

  1. in making the Phone Call, Minister Madu interfered or attempted to interfere with the administration of justice or
  2. the Phone Call created a reasonable perception of an interference with the administration of justice.  

In conducting the investigation, the Investigator may obtain copies of documents or records directly relevant to the investigation, and may conduct interviews with individuals that may have information that is directly relevant to the investigation. Interviews may be conducted in person or by video call.

Minister Madu will provide the Investigator with his full cooperation and assistance in the investigation.

The Investigator will report her findings to the Deputy Minister of Executive Council, by February 15th, 2022.