Indigenous Persons Who Were Assaulted at Any Time While Being Held in Custody or Detention by the RCMP may be Affected by a Class Action

Press Release

SHERWOOD PARK, AB, Oct. 24, 2025 — A class action lawsuit has been certified against the Attorney General of Canada on behalf of Aboriginal Persons (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) who allege they were assaulted at any time while being held in custody or detained by RCMP outside of the Territories and were alive as of July 20, 2018 (the “Class” or “Class Members”).’

If you are a Class Member, you can choose to stay in or leave the Class.

Accompanying Information Sheet

• Stay in the class action: To stay in the class action, you do not have to do anything. All Class Members are automatically included in the proceeding and bound by the result unless you opt out.
  
  
• Get out of the class action: If you want to leave the class action, you must submit an opt out form by March 25, 2026. Opt out forms are available on class counsel’s websites listed below. You can also opt out by emailing (optout@cooperregel.ca) or sending a letter by mail to Cooper Regel LLP at the address below and telling them that you want to be removed from this class action. Please include your name, address, telephone number, and/or email address and, if sent by regular mail, have it postmarked by March 25, 2026. If you remove yourself, you cannot get money or benefits from this lawsuit if any are awarded.

The Court has appointed Murphy Battista LLP and Cooper Regel LLP (“Class Counsel”) to represent the Class. You don’t have to pay legal fees to participate.

“For years, leaders at the highest levels of government have acknowledged the deep-rooted systemic racism that has plagued our national police force since its inception,” said Steven L. Cooper, K.C., of Cooper Regel LLP. “This certified class action, brought forward through the collaborative efforts of the law firms Cooper Regel and Murphy Battista, spans all provinces and seeks not only financial compensation but a binding commitment to structural reform. This action moves beyond words. It demands accountability and tangible change, as the tens of thousands of Indigenous individuals who have suffered harm at the hands of the RCMP now have a unified legal pathway to seek justice.”

“Sadly, racial discrimination is a systemic issue within the RCMP,” added Angela Bespflug of Murphy Battista. “Indigenous individuals are routinely and unreasonably targeted by members of the RCMP – and are often assaulted while in their custody or control. We encourage Indigenous individuals who have been subjected to this racial profiling to come forward and tell their stories. This certified class action seeks compensation for these affected individuals. We need to continue to put pressure on the RCMP to do better – and to finally settle and resolve the claims of these individuals.”

For more information about your rights and/or to opt out please contact Cooper Regel LLP:

Cooper Regel LLP
Telephone: 1-800-994-7477
Information email: info@cooperregel.ca
Opt out email: optout@cooperregel.ca
77 Chippewa Rd,
Sherwood Park, AB, T8A 6J7

Websites:
https://cooperregel.ca/rcmp-class-action-south/ 
www.murphybattista.com/practice-areas/class-action-lawsuits/rcmp-indigenous-racism-and-assault-case/

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