India, May 14 -- A judge has ruled that Elections Alberta acted unreasonably when it approved a petition seeking a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada, according to court documents reported by Canadian media outlets.

The petition, backed by the Alberta Prosperity Project, sought to trigger a provincewide referendum on whether Alberta should become a sovereign nation and leave Canada.

Leonard previously granted a temporary injunction pausing the referendum petition process while the court reviewed whether Elections Alberta had acted within its authority, according to The Canadian Press.

The ruling marks a setback for Alberta separatist organizers, who have argued that dissatisfaction with federal energy and economic policies ha...