'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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.