TDF-funded counsel will argue the trial judgment infringed Charter freedoms while responding to the Crown's appeal seeking additional convictions and years of added jail time.
OTTAWA: Lawyers representing Tamara Lich, a prominent figure in the 2022 Freedom Convoy, are expected to appear before the Ontario Court of Appeal in early 2027 to argue her appeal.
The parties will file documents in advance of the spring hearing, with the Crown expected to file its appeal factum followed by the defence response. The Crown is appealing both the acquittal of the intimidation charge and penalty following the single mischief conviction, seeking years of additional jail time.
The Democracy Fund (TDF) is funding the appeal, led by Lawrence Greenspon and his legal team at Greenspon Granger Hill. They will argue that the trial judgment infringed on Charter-protected freedom of expression and that no evidence linked Ms. Lich to the misdeeds of other protesters.
TDF Executive Director, Mark Joseph, said: “Ms. Lich has endured years of prosecution over conduct that we believe is constitutionally protected speech and peaceful protest. Furthermore, the government allocated substantial resources to secure a conviction and possible jail time for what are, at best, low-level criminal offences. This policy decision is difficult to justify when serious violent crime in Canada proliferates often without prosecution by the authorities.”
About The Democracy Fund:
Founded in 2021, The Democracy Fund (TDF) is a Canadian charity dedicated to defending constitutional rights, promoting free speech and religious freedom, and opposing religious discrimination. TDF advances these principles through litigation, public education, educational initiatives, and access-to-justice programs for Canadians whose civil liberties have been infringed.