Lawyer Clayton Ruby says he'll ask the Supreme Court of Canada to consider a final appeal on Rob Ford's conflict of interest case. According to the Toronto Star, Ruby's submission says there are still "legal questions that are fundamentally important to all municipalities and all Canadians" surrounding the case.

As reporter Daniel Dale notes, a panel of three Supreme Court judges will decide whether to take the case but won't reveal their decision for another four months. If they do summon the legal teams for a final showdown, the decision won't be released until around the time of the 2014 election.

The Supreme Court is the end of the line for all court proceedings in Canada but it typically only hears around 12 per cent of the cases it's offered. A ruling would mean an absolutely final decision over whether Rob Ford breached provincial rules by speaking and voting on an item at council in which he had a financial interest, namely the decision not to return $3,150 in lobbyist donations to his football foundation.

Is the case deserving of a Supreme Court appeal? Would an unsuccessful appeal help Rob Ford's chances of re-election?

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Chris Bateman