From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

‘There is no evidence of any of the leaders of the Freedom Convoy 2022 agreeing to pursue their ends by way of illegal activity,’ the defense team wrote, asking for the case to be dismissed

After the Crown prosecutors abruptly decided to end its case against Freedom Convoy leaders Tamara Lich and Chris Barber last week, the pair’s legal teams have filed for the case to be dismissed, saying the government has no evidence that would lead to the convoy organizers being found guilty of their charges.  

“To the extent there were any collective objectives on the part of the protesters, they were not inherently illegal,” wrote Lich’s legal counsel Lawrence Greenspon in a filing seeking a full dismissal of the case against his client.

Continuing, Greenspon pointed out in the filing, which was submitted to the court last week, that something that would be “inherently illegal” would be murder or serious drug-related issues, but that going to Ottawa to protest government COVID mandates does not fit this description.  

“Similarly, there is no evidence of any of the leaders of the Freedom Convoy 2022 agreeing to pursue their ends by way of illegal activity,” added the defense.

The defense team also noted that there is “[n]othing illegal about encouraging others to come to or stay in Ottawa to protest lawfully.” 

“Lich does not encourage anyone to engage in any unlawful conduct at any time,” they added.   

Last Monday, which was sitting day 27 of the trial, Lich and Barber’s legal counsel argued that the Crown to date has not been able to prove the organizers participated in a conspiracy to break the law or encourage others to break the law, and that therefore the case should be tossed altogether. 

The Crown has been trying to prove that Lich and Barber had somehow influenced the protesters’ actions through their words as part of a co-conspiracy.  

The trial has been ongoing for nearly three months, having started on September 5, 2023. Despite seeing a few breaks here and there, including being off most of November, the Crown prosecution had been taking its time calling forth its witnesses.

On Monday, however, the Crown abruptly decided to end its case, telling the court it would not call forth any new witnesses.  

Also on Monday, the Crown’s last witness, Nicole Bach of the Ottawa Police Services’ (OPS) Police Liaison Team (PLT), testified in court about a chat group created between officers. She had previously testified her police-provided phone was “wiped” of all information when asked by Judge Heather Perkins-McVey if she had copies of vital information of conversations between her and protesters.  

Lich and Barber are facing multiple charges from the 2022 protests, including mischief, counseling mischief, counseling intimidation and obstructing police for taking part in and organizing the anti-mandate Freedom Convoy. As reported by LifeSiteNews at the time, despite the non-violent nature of the protest and the charges, Lich was jailed for weeks before she was granted bail.  

In early 2022, the Freedom Convoy saw thousands of Canadians from coast to coast come to Ottawa to demand an end to COVID mandates in all forms. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government enacted the Emergencies Act on February 14.

During the clear-out of protesters after the EA was put in place, one protester, an elderly lady, was trampled by a police horse, and one conservative female reporter was beaten by police and shot with a tear gas canister. 

Lich and Barber’s trial has thus far taken more time than originally planned due to the slow pace of the Crown calling its witnesses. LifeSiteNews has been covering the trial extensively.