Doug Riffel banishment challenge
Lawyers funded by the Justice Centre are challenging the banishment of Doug Riffel from Wabauskang First Nation (WFN) territory, arguing that the decision is unconstitutional, unlawful, and procedurally unfair. Mr. Riffel, a member and multiple-term former councillor and Chief of WFN, was banished in June 2025 by Band Council Resolution (BCR) on the stated basis of “public safety” following criminal charges laid against him in August 2024.
Those charges were withdrawn in March 2026, just two hours into the complainant’s trial testimony. Mr. Riffel has no criminal record or history of violence. At the time of the banishment, he had been released on recognizance for 10 months without incident, while the complainant lived approximately 90 kilometres away from WFN territory. Mr. Riffel was given no prior notice of the decision and no opportunity to respond before being expelled from his community.
Warning letter and legal position
Lawyers funded by the Justice Centre previously sent a warning letter to WFN in February 2026, stating that the banishment was “unlawful and unconstitutional” and requesting that it be rescinded immediately. The letter further explains that “a First Nation band council cannot simply banish band members at will,” and that a BCR, without a supporting bylaw enacted under the Indian Act, “does not carry the authority of the Indian Act, and is unenforceable.”
Further updates will be posted here as they become available.