Sir Alexander Campbell (1822-92) was Minister of Justice during the Louis Riel treason trial. The Committee of the Privy Council requested a report on the case and this document was the result. Submitted on November 25, 1885, the report contains four criticisms against the trial: 1) the jurisdiction of the court and the fairness of the trial; 2) the sanity of Riel and his responsibility for his acts; 3) whether Riel's crime was a political one; 4) whether rebellion alone should be punished by death.
