Freedom Convoy Organizer Tamara Rich Remaining The judge, who heard the bail inquiry on March 2, recorded a 19-day detention until at least March 7, as he said the next hearing would be the following week.
In the argument raised by Lich’s defense, the judge who refused her bail was due to the judge’s previous relationship with the Governing Liberal Party, which is controversial among legal experts. There is a prejudice against the cause of.
Drew Barnes, an independent Alberta MLA riding a Cypress Medicine Hat in Lich’s hometown, called Lich a “political prisoner” and called for her release.
“She is free to participate in non-violent civil disobedience in her role in the Freedom Convoy to Ottawa. She faces mischief, but more than that. There is nothing, “he said in a statement on February 27.
“She has been portrayed in the media as a violent criminal, foreign operative, and anarchist. It must not be true. She is a former energy worker and mother of Metis’ heritage. Yes, my grandmother, and sometimes I play the guitar in a local band. “
Rich, one of the organizers who led the effort to encourage truck drivers to participate in prosecutions in Ottawa against COVID-19’s obligations and restrictions, was arrested on February 17 and mischievous. Was charged with counseling for.
The next day, police escalated efforts to eliminate protesters from the country’s capital, 196 arrests and 115 vehicles towed By the morning of February 21st.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the protest an “illegal profession” after invoking an emergency law on February 14 to quell the protests.
On February 22, Judge Julie Bourgeois of the Ontario State Court denied Lich’s bail and saw her at risk of recidivism.
On February 18, the bourgeoisie granted bail to another major convoy organizer, Chris Barber, on several terms and a $ 100,000 deposit.
Vocal protester Pat King was also denied bail.
some critic While questioning the fairness of the bourgeois decision, others say she made her decision without political influence.
At Lich’s bail hearing, Bourjois said there was a “substantial risk” she was likely to re-offend by continuing to organize truck drivers against Canada’s COVID-19 obligations. ..
“If I release you to the community, I can’t rest assured that you won’t get angry again. You need your detention for the protection and security of the public,” said the bourgeoisie.
Before the bourgeoisie was appointed judge of the Ontario State Court 2015She worked as a public prosecutor and assistant prosecutor for 16 years.
In Canada’s 2011 election, she ran for the Liberal Party in the Glengarry-Prescott-Russell federal election. 2nd place Lost to former Conservative Pierre Lemie.
When Trudeau was running for Papino’s incumbent during the 2011 campaign, he said he had “great praise” for the bourgeoisie.
“Her vision, her credibility, her strength will be an amazing asset,” Trudeau said in a video before becoming a liberal leader.
From 2009 to 2014, bourgeois donated 71 times Liberal Party of Canada for a total of $ 9,936.01 Records of the Election Administration..
“What do you think of a rational and informed person?”
Vivian Berkovich, a former law professor at the University of Toronto, who was appointed as the Canadian ambassador to Israel during Stephen Harper’s conservative administration, expressed concern about the fairness of the bourgeoisie.
“The media should be in all of this,” Bercovici said. Said On Twitter on February 22nd. “Judicial independence is an important pillar of any democracy.”
“I expect [Canadian] The media is asking what it means for such a delicate case to be assigned to a judge who may be considered prejudiced. ” Added..
David Amber, Ottawa’s criminal defense attorney for some of the prosecutors, wrote in the following article: Newsweek He disagrees with the bourgeois decision. He said he believed that Lich did not properly apply the legal principles of bail, concluding that there was a “substantial possibility” of violating the law.
“There were tools available to judges, such as high cash requirements (a rare cash on Canadian bail) and strict house arrest conditions,” Amber wrote. “I should have managed all the risks of recidivism and violating the conditions of her release.”
But Amber said on Twitter, “She is absolutely confident.” [Bourgeois] Made her decision without political influence. “
“Bourgeois justice is an honest and hard-working judge, always striving to direct himself to the right legal principles,” Amber said. Tweeter “I disagree with her final application of those principles to her previous facts, but I think it was a closer call than most free protesters would understand.”
Herb Danton, a British Columbia-based lawyer, sets a precedent for judicial bias set by a 2015 Canadian Supreme Court ruling. case Between the Yukon Francophone Board of Education and the Attorney General in the area.
In 2009, the board sued the Yukon government for stating that it was a flaw in the provision of language education for ethnic minorities, and the judge ruled in favor of the board on most issues.
The Court of Appeals concluded that the Supreme Court of Canada had reasonable concerns of prejudice on the part of the judge, based on the number of cases in trial and his involvement as governor of the Francophone community organization in Alberta. I was asked to consider.
The Supreme Court reiterated in its ruling that the test of rational concern for prejudice was “what a rational and informed person thinks.”
Joshua Clark, a criminal defense counsel for Ottawa’s armored suit, claims that the bourgeoisie had a prejudice is an interesting question, but points out that she is unlikely to be a judge and is likely to fail. It states.
“The judge is presumed to be impartial, so we need to show how her affiliation influenced the decision, not a vague possibility,” he said in an email. “She has been a judge for many years already. Over time, her ties weaken.”
Canadian Press contributed to this report.
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Jared Gnam is a Vancouver-based reporter.