Freedom Convoy leaders to serve NO jail time after judge gives conditional sentences

David Krayden

The judge said she relied heavily upon the Victims Impact Statements used by the prosecution during the trial as they paraded residents of Ottawa who claimed the protest negatively affected their lives.

Ontario Justice Heather Perkins-McVey sentenced Freedom Convoy organizers Chris Barber and Tamara Lich Tuesday to conditional sentences. Barber received a conditional sentence of house arrest for 12 months and a six month curfew. He must also perform 100 hours of community service. The judge made exceptions for employment purposes.

Lich received a 15.5 month conditional sentence, with 12 months house arrest and 3.5 months of curfew. The judge reduced the sentence because Lich had already served 74 days in jail.

Perkins-McVey rejected an absolute discharge for either Lich or Barber while noting that there was “an absence” of remorse from either. She also said eight or seven years in jail would be “unfit” for the conviction.

The judge had previously found the truckers’ convoy leaders guilty on Apr. 3 on mischief charges.

It was the concluding day in a trial that lasted exactly two years and one month and is the longest mischief trial in Canadian history, according to Lawrence Greenspon, attorney for Lich. Many considered the trial to be an outrageous exercise in lawfare.

When asked if he approved of the sentence given to his client, Lich, lawyer Lawrence Greenspon told The Post Millennial, “The main objective was to make sure she didn’t spend one more day in jail, and that was achieved. And so yes, in that sense, we’re we are still very seriously considering an appeal of the conviction for mischief, but as far as the sentence goes, we’re pleased that she is not going to be spending any more time in
jail.”

After dismissing one reporter’s question about whether Lich felt any “remorse” over protesting Covid mandates, Greenspon told TPM that Lich might have actually saved lives by allowing helping to stop lockdowns and restrictions for the unvaccinated. “She may have, certainly she may have saved lives by by her advocacy. One thing we know is that there were many lives, many people that were inspired by her example, by what she said and and how she did it. There were lives that were changed as a result of her standing up on behalf of many thousands of Canadians, perhaps even tends of thousands of Canadians. So were lives saved? I don’t know; but that may well have been.

Both Barber and Lich were key personalities of the Freedom Convoy that came to Ottawa in January 2022, when thousands of truckers descended upon Canada’s capital to protest the severe Covid mandates of the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.