A lesson, perhaps, for PP that he was playing footsy with criminals while pretending to be "fighting for our freedoms".
Convoy organizers Lich, Barber receive 18-month conditional sentences
Ian Bailey
Ottawa
Published 1 hour agoUpdated 18 minutes ago
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Tamara Lich arrives at the courthouse for sentencing in Ottawa on Tuesday. She and Chris Barber were both convicted of mischief in April for their roles in the 2022 trucker convoy protest.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
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Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, key organizers of the 2022 trucker convoy demonstrations in Ottawa, have both received 18-month conditional sentences on mischief charges, bringing an end to a legal saga stemming from the federal government’s pandemic restrictions.
Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey effectively reduced Ms. Lich’s sentence to 15.5 months with previous jail time accommodated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barber was sentenced to 18 months, of which 12 months will be house arrest and six months a curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. He must also perform 100 hours of community service.
Earlier: Tamara Lich’s lawyer seeks absolute discharge as sentencing hearing for Ottawa convoy organizers ends
Andrew Coyne: The right’s new cause, crime without punishment, and its new martyrs, the Ottawa hostage-takers
In a ruling read over several hours, Justice Perkins-McVey acknowledged the harm that the protest imposed on Ottawa, but added that the conditional sentences were longer than jail sentences she might have imposed.
She noted the pair were first-time offenders who did not intentionally engineer violence in Ottawa and co-operated with the court process.
The justice also said she had carefully reviewed other sentences linked to pandemic-era protest.
Open this photo in gallery:
Chris Barber arrives at the courthouse for sentencing in Ottawa on Tuesday.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
In April, Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber were convicted of mischief for their roles in the convoy protest, which led to the downtown of the nation’s capital being filled with protesters intent on denouncing vaccine mandates and other measures to deal with the pandemic.
With big-rig tracks parked on several downtown streets, the city declared a state of emergency, and Jim Watson, mayor at the time, said Ottawa police were unable to quell what he called an “insurrection” so additional police resources were required.
Eventually, Justin Trudeau, then the prime minister, invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time on Feb. 14, 2022, providing authorities with extraordinary powers. Nine days later, the government lifted the act, and a massive police response cleared out the protesters.
Justice Perkins-McVey said in April that she reached her decision convicting the pair because Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber encouraged people to join or stay at the protest while knowing the adverse effects on downtown Ottawa businesses and residents.
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The Crown was seeking seven years in prison for Ms. Lich and eight years for Mr. Barber, who was, additionally, found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order.
Meanwhile, lawyers for the pair were seeking an absolute discharge for their clients.
Ms. Lich was represented by lawyer Lawrence Greenspon and Mr. Barber represented by lawyer Diane Magas.
Convoy organizers Lich, Barber receive 18-month conditional sentences
Ian Bailey
Ottawa
Published 1 hour agoUpdated 18 minutes ago
Open this photo in gallery:
Tamara Lich arrives at the courthouse for sentencing in Ottawa on Tuesday. She and Chris Barber were both convicted of mischief in April for their roles in the 2022 trucker convoy protest.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
120 Comments
Share
Save for later
Give this article
Listen to this article
Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, key organizers of the 2022 trucker convoy demonstrations in Ottawa, have both received 18-month conditional sentences on mischief charges, bringing an end to a legal saga stemming from the federal government’s pandemic restrictions.
Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey effectively reduced Ms. Lich’s sentence to 15.5 months with previous jail time accommodated.
Meanwhile, Mr. Barber was sentenced to 18 months, of which 12 months will be house arrest and six months a curfew of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. He must also perform 100 hours of community service.
Earlier: Tamara Lich’s lawyer seeks absolute discharge as sentencing hearing for Ottawa convoy organizers ends
Andrew Coyne: The right’s new cause, crime without punishment, and its new martyrs, the Ottawa hostage-takers
In a ruling read over several hours, Justice Perkins-McVey acknowledged the harm that the protest imposed on Ottawa, but added that the conditional sentences were longer than jail sentences she might have imposed.
She noted the pair were first-time offenders who did not intentionally engineer violence in Ottawa and co-operated with the court process.
The justice also said she had carefully reviewed other sentences linked to pandemic-era protest.
Open this photo in gallery:
Chris Barber arrives at the courthouse for sentencing in Ottawa on Tuesday.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
In April, Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber were convicted of mischief for their roles in the convoy protest, which led to the downtown of the nation’s capital being filled with protesters intent on denouncing vaccine mandates and other measures to deal with the pandemic.
With big-rig tracks parked on several downtown streets, the city declared a state of emergency, and Jim Watson, mayor at the time, said Ottawa police were unable to quell what he called an “insurrection” so additional police resources were required.
Eventually, Justin Trudeau, then the prime minister, invoked the Emergencies Act for the first time on Feb. 14, 2022, providing authorities with extraordinary powers. Nine days later, the government lifted the act, and a massive police response cleared out the protesters.
Justice Perkins-McVey said in April that she reached her decision convicting the pair because Ms. Lich and Mr. Barber encouraged people to join or stay at the protest while knowing the adverse effects on downtown Ottawa businesses and residents.
More stories below advertisement
The Crown was seeking seven years in prison for Ms. Lich and eight years for Mr. Barber, who was, additionally, found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order.
Meanwhile, lawyers for the pair were seeking an absolute discharge for their clients.
Ms. Lich was represented by lawyer Lawrence Greenspon and Mr. Barber represented by lawyer Diane Magas.
