No prison for Tamara Lich, Chris Barber as judge hands conditional sentence

Freedom Convoy leaders Chris Barber and Tamara Lich will largely remain free after being handed a conditional sentence in the Ontario Court of Justice for their involvement in the Freedom Convoy.

With files from Walid Tamtam

Freedom Convoy leaders Chris Barber and Tamara Lich will largely remain free after being handed a conditional sentence in the Ontario Court of Justice for their involvement in the Freedom Convoy.

A judge on Tuesday handed Barber an 18-month conditional sentence and Lich a 15.5-month conditional sentence (i.e. house arrest).

Importantly, neither sentence will require time in prison. Instead, the punishments will be served at home under certain conditions, including curfews - contrary to the Ontario Crown Prosecutor demanding 8 and 7 years in prison for Barber and Lich, respectively.

The dual decisions were delivered in a courtroom filled with observers, many of whom delivered a standing ovation to both defendants upon their sentencing.

The judge outsourced Barber’s sentence to the Saskatchewan Court of Justice for conditioning and monitoring.

Lich’s conditional sentence was also transferred to Medicine Hat, Alberta, for administration and monitoring.

The trial of Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, which some commentators have referred to as “the longest mischief trial in world history,” stems from their leadership of the peaceful anti-vaccine mandate Freedom Convoy movement in 2022.

Scenes at the courthouse involved brawling protestors (link to video on X). The protest “bear-hugged” the nation’s capital for several weeks, creating a gridlock near Parliament, the sentencing judge said.

For their involvement in the February 2022 Freedom Convoy protest, Barber and Lich were each found guilty of one count of mischief. Barber was also found guilty of counseling others to disobey a court order.

The protests, initially sparked by opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, grew into a broader movement against the federal government, drawing thousands of demonstrators and extensive law enforcement scrutiny.

The Crown had argued their “leadership” in the protest helped sustain an unlawful occupation, disrupting residents, businesses, and government operations.

On Tuesday, Perkins-McVey called that “leadership” “largely symbolic.”

Nonetheless, Crown prosecutor Siobhain Wetscher had earlier asked the judge to impose extraordinary sentences—eight years’ imprisonment for Barber and seven for Lich—arguing that such heavy penalties would deter similar protests.

During sentencing, the Ontario Court Justice said R v. King and the Coutts border blockade were the two most informative cases in determining an appropriate sentence.

Curiously, Perkins-McVey did not give similar attention to Supreme Court Justice Richard Mosley’s decision that the Trudeau government’s imposition of the Emergencies Act, which was the basis for the arrests of Lich and Barber, was unconstitutional.

That judgment remains subject to numerous federal government appeals.

Lich’s lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, meanwhile, says they are also “strongly considering” an appeal to her conditional sentence.

“We admit there was a disturbance in the city of Ottawa for a period of time and affected people and their rights to the enjoyment of property,” Greenspon said on behalf of his client.

“Our argument has always been,” he further contested, that such a “disturbance” pales in comparison with the importance of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, both of which are protected by the constitution.”