Graff is a 58-year-old former Toronto municipal candidate (2014), community activist, and semi-retired financial analyst. Graff's application to run was rejected twice by NDP officials. He claimed it was because of his policy to cut immigration, while the party said it was on the grounds that he does not support party policy, as well as due to a 1993 charge for watching and besetting, which resulted in a conditional discharge. Graff took the NDP to court in March through a "judicial review" on the grounds that the party had violated natural justice, and this resulted in a settlement allowing him to apply a second time. After the party's second rejection, Graff returned to court with a second judicial review in an attempt to require the NDP to permit him to run. The party argued it was not subject to judicial review. On June 9, 2017, the court ruled that the NDP and other political parties are subject to judicial review, but that the party's actions were not unreasonable in rejecting Graff's application to stand for leader.Graff v. New Democratic Party, 2017 ONSC 3578 (Justice Nordheimer), online at http://canlii.ca/t/h46sv
