'Freedom Convoy' leader Tamara Lich appears in court seeking new bail conditions

One of the leaders of the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest will need to clear a legal hurdle before she can seek changes to her bail conditions.

Tamara Lich, the organizer of a GoFundMe that raised more than $10 million in support of the convoy, was released from jail last month with heavy restrictions on her use of social media.

On Wednesday, she appeared in court as her lawyer and a Crown attorney argued over a procedural matter: whether a Superior Court judge can review the bail decision of another Superior Court judge, or whether it must be appealed to a higher court.

"We want to be able to argue in front of the Superior Court of Justice that there was an error of law made at the time those conditions were imposed," Lich's lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told CTV News.

The Crown argued in court the law does not allow for a Superior Court judge to review the decision of another Superior Court judge. 

Greenspon disagreed. 

"It's the kind of application which has been proceeding before the courts for more than 30 years," he said. "And the alternative which the Crown is suggesting, namely to bring an application for leave to the Supreme Court of Canada, is just completely impractical and would present a very real obstacle for the vast majority of people who are released on bail."

A date for a decision was not set. Justice Julianne Parfett said she would provide her decision as quickly as possible.

Greenspon says the social media restriction on Lich is overly broad and an unnecessary condition of her release.

Lich was arrested Feb. 17, a day before the large police operation began that removed the protesters who occupied downtown Ottawa streets for three weeks.

She and a co-accused, Chris Barber, are charged with mischief, counselling mischief, intimidation, counselling intimidation, counselling obstruction of police and obstructing police.

Lich appeared by video from Alberta, where she is living as part of her release conditions.

Citing case, Greenspon says since a Superior Court decision is not binding on a fellow Superior Court judge, it means it is reviewable and there should be freedom for a second Superior Court judge to review conditions or detention @ctvottawa

— Katie Griffin (@KatieGriffinCTV) April 20, 2022