OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – Freedom Convoy leader Chris Barber will learn on July 21 whether or not he could face jail time when a ruling on a request for a stay of proceedings in his case will be announced by a judge.
Barber is facing potential jail time for his role in the 2022 protests that saw him being found guilty of mischief as well as the possible forfeiture of the truck he used in the convoy.
Freedom Convoy leader Tamara Lich announced on X that Barber’s request for a stay of proceedings was forthcoming.
“We attended court yesterday (virtually) to wrap up Chris’ Stay of Proceedings hearing. Her Honour will deliver her decision on this matter on the morning of July 21,” Lich wrote on X late last week.
“Following that we will begin the sentencing hearing which is scheduled for July 21, 23 and 25, likely kicking off with the Crown’s forfeiture order for Big Red.”
In April, Barber said that the Crown is seeking a two-year jail sentence against him and is also looking to seize the truck he used in the protest. As a result, his legal team asked for a stay of proceedings.
He and his legal team have argued that all proceedings should be stopped because he “sought advice from lawyers, police and a Superior Court Judge” regarding the legality of the 2022 protest. If his application is granted, Barber would avoid any jail time.
In April, both Lich and Barber were found guilty of mischief for their roles as leaders of the 2022 protest and as social media influencers despite the non-violent nature of the demonstration.
Lich is to be sentenced on July 23.
The Lich and Barber trial concluded in September 2024, more than a year after it began. It was only originally scheduled to last 16 days.
Lich and Barber were initially arrested on February 17, 2022, meaning their legal battle has lasted longer than three years.
Despite the peaceful nature of the Freedom Convoy, then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government invoked the Emergencies Act to clear-out protesters, an action a federal judge has since said was “not justified.” During the clear-out, an elderly lady was trampled by a police horse and many who donated to the cause had their bank accounts frozen.
The actions taken by the Trudeau government were publicly supported by Mark Carney at the time, who won re-election on April 28 and is slated to form a minority government.
