The Democracy Fund lawyers are filing applications to reopen convictions for an Amish community hit with COVID-19 fines.
TORONTO: The Democracy Fund (TDF) has recently discovered that members of the Amish community in Grey County, Ontario, were convicted for various offences during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Seventy-four community members were fined nearly $300,000 for failing to complete the ArriveCan app, among other violations.
Many of these individuals were not properly notified about the tickets or trial dates, leading to convictions made in their absence. Consequently, liens have been placed on their properties, posing a severe threat to their community and livelihoods should the government force the sale of their lands.
As noted by TDF senior litigation counsel Adam Blake-Gallipeau, "These are people who, due to their faith, do not use modern technology. They travel by horse and buggy and are unfamiliar with operating a telephone, let alone an app on a present-day cell phone."
In response, TDF lawyers will be filing applications to reopen these convictions. If granted, TDF will challenge these fines in court. We anticipate that this legal process may be lengthy, but with your support, TDF is committed to addressing and correcting this pandemic-related injustice.
If you'd like to support the Amish community in their fight, please consider making a tax-deductible donation on this page.
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 and 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.