Court drops no-contact restriction on Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber
Two prominent Freedom Convoy organizers will now be able to communicate and meet again without lawyers present.
A court dropped a no-contact order on Wednesday on Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich, which prohibited her from meeting with or contacting fellow organizer Chris Barber.
Yet Lich’s legal challenges are far from over. She faces a series of charges, including mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief and intimidation.
But Lich said she is taking victories where she can find them.
“It’s a step in the right direction, and I am grateful for the win,” she said on X.
With the order dropped, Lich and Barber can see each other and communicate without fear of arrest, though her other conditions and no-contact orders are still in place.
There is still an order restricting her communications with other protest organizers.
Lich was initially arrested in Ottawa, on Feb. 17, 2022, for her role in the Freedom Convoy. Though she had similar charges to Barber, she was denied bail while Barber was released.
She was held in jail for 18 days before being granted bail. When she was released, the court prohibited her from talking to any of the protest organizers, using social media, or speaking with some of the protest participants.
In June of 2022, Lich was arrested for a second time after allegedly breaching her prior bail conditions and contacting fellow protest organizer Tom Marazzo, but those charges were dropped.
Her bail conditions were eased in December last year, which allowed her to log onto her X account for the first time in 22 months after being barred from accessing the platform, which at the time she was banned, was called Twitter.
Barber and Lich celebrated the win together immediately.
“We decided a beer was more deserved than coffee, So grateful,” Barber posted on Facebook to celebrate their win though there was a different message for the audience on X.
According to The Democracy Fund, Lich’s legal representatives, March 15, 2024, marked the 38th day of the trial that began nine months ago.
TDF is a Canadian charity which finds legal representation for Canadians, especially in civil rights-related issues.
The trial has been adjourned until Aug. 13, 2024. Additional Aug. 14-15 and 19-23 dates have been proposed.
According to Rebel News, Lich’s legal fees have been quoted at around $300,000 for expert representation.
For those wishing to donate to Lich’s legal fund, TDF is accepting donations on their website, which also provides updates on the trial.
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