UPDATE: Court postpones hearing due to a change in the process; new date will be announced shortly.
TDF lawyers will defend the Church's application for judicial review against the City's Motion to Dismiss.
Montreal— In response to the $2,500 by-law infraction ticket issued against Ministerios Restauracion by the City of Montreal after the worship service of US artist Sean Feucht, TDF lawyers filed an application for judicial review with the Quebec Superior Court seeking to have the ticket quashed. Several Canadian church organizations are seeking the Court's permission to intervene to argue in support of Ministerios Restauracion.
Lawyers for the City have filed a motion to dismiss the Church's application: the Superior Court will hear the City's motion on Thursday, January 22, 2026. At the motion to dismiss, City lawyers will argue that the constitutional challenges brought by the Church in its judicial application should be adjudicated by the Municipal Court rather than the Superior Court since the Municipal Court has jurisdiction to hear these arguments. TDF lawyers, and possibly lawyers for intervenor churches, will vigorously defend the application for judicial review before a single Superior Court judge over several hours of oral argument.
The hearing will take place at the Montreal Courthouse and is open to the public.
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to constitutional rights, advancing education and relieving poverty. TDF promotes constitutional rights through litigation and public education. TDF supports an access to justice initiative for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed by government lockdowns and other public policy responses to the pandemic.