A federal court judge has ruled Henry Felix was not given a fair hearing by the Sturgeon Lake First Nation election appeal tribunal.

Felix won a May 2013 election for chief, but was disqualified as a candidate by the chief electoral officer who said he owed money to the band.

Craig Bighead was elected chief in a subsequent by-election.

In her ruling, Justice Catherine Kane says the appeal tribunal actively participated in Felix’s disqualification and he was not given a fair hearing.

She has ruled the tribunal should consider his appeal again.

The applicants had asked the judge to re-instate Felix as chief.