Mischief trial verdict for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber delayed
The highly anticipated verdict in the criminal mischief trial of Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber has been postponed.
The highly anticipated verdict in the criminal mischief trial of Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber has been postponed.
The case, described by legal laymen and experts alike as “the longest and most expensive mischief trial in history,” continues to loom more than three years after the two were arrested in Ottawa.
Originally scheduled for Mar. 12, Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey said Thursday that additional time is required to thoroughly review the extensive evidence.and complex legal arguments presented during the proceedings.
Lich and Barber face charges of mischief, intimidation, and counseling others to commit offenses related to their roles in the 2022 protests that occupied downtown Ottawa for three weeks.
The trial, initially expected to last 16 days, extended over a year, concluding in September 2024 after 45 days of testimony and legal discussions.
Justice Perkins-McVey cited the unusually great volume of evidence and legal questions as factors contributing to the delay.
The defense maintains that Lich and Barber were exercising their constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free expression, while the Crown argues they conspired to disrupt public order to pressure the government into changing COVID-19 public health policies.
The protests, which included hundreds of trucks and thousands of demonstrators prompted the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time in Canadian history – a decision that was later deemed unlawful and unjustified.
A new date for the verdict has not been announced, but an updated timeline on proceedings is expected as early as next week.
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The amount of money and time this government has spent prosecuting - persecuting - these two heroic individuals for exercising their constitutional and God-given rights is obscene.
The decision is being delayed until after the possible federal election at whose request? Liberal donor courts, two year trial, six months to review evidence for a fake mischief charge, what a travesty.