- Parties: The applicant was Frederick Blake Jr. The respondents were Ken Kyikavichik and Gwich’in Tribal Council. 

- Subject Matter: The applicant was elected grand chief of the Gwich’in Tribal Council (GTC). Ken Kyikavichik, the election’s incumbent and only other candidate, brought a complaint alleging violations of the GTC election rules the next day. The GTC’s Board of Directors ruled that violations occurred and called a new election. 

- Ruling: The court ruled in the applicant’s favour, declared him duly elected as GTC’s grand chief, granted the application, and set aside the decision of the GTC’s Board of Directors that called a new grand chief election. The court ordered the GTC’s Board to abstain from holding a new election for the position until the expiration of the applicant’s term or until his position otherwise became vacant. The court accepted that the applicant did breach the GTC Elections Rules when he failed to comply with the deadline to provide all the receipts for his personal campaign expenses. The court also acknowledged, based on the evidence, that two GTC participant members on the applicant’s campaign team breached the GTC Elections Rules. However, the court concluded that these violations were insufficient to call the entire election’s results into question. The court added that the GTC’s Board breached principles of natural justice and procedural fairness. 

- Date: The court released its decision on Jan. 14, 2025. 

- Venue: This was a case before the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. 

- Amount: The court made no costs award.