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 Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms / YouTube

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ALBERTA, March 11, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) – A prominent Canadian legal group fighting for constitutional freedoms and representing many individuals charged with various COVID-related offenses says that to date, many tickets are being dropped by Alberta Provincial Crown prosecutors.  

“So far, all COVID-related tickets issued to rally demonstrators in Alberta that the Justice Centre has defended have been withdrawn by Crown Prosecutors before trial,” said The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) in a news release Tuesday. 

Litigation Director for the JCCF Jay Cameron said that many of the COVID tickets issued will “never be prosecuted” due to them being issued under “unconstitutional” and “arbitrary” health orders. 

“Public health officials are not the supreme law of the land – the Constitution is,” noted Cameron in the press release.

“A significant portion of the arbitrary and confusing public health orders which have so oppressed Canadian society are, on their face, unconstitutional and cannot be justified.  As a result, many of the tickets issued for the supposed violation of such orders will never be prosecuted.  We expect the mass withdrawal of Covid tickets to continue as prosecutors across the country correctly decide to stay charges.”

The JCCF represents almost 100 people who have been ticketed for “allegedly breaching public health orders” in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

The JCCF say that such charges include “allegedly participating in peaceful protests, not wearing a mask, providing services during lockdowns, not complying with public health guidelines on signage, and other issues surrounding the Charter freedoms to move, travel, assemble, associate, worship and express themselves.” 

The JCCF has released an powerful video to accompany the news release about the continued rate of dropped COVID charges. 

The video features parts of a speech given by its president John Carpay at a recent lockdown protest, along with video summaries of some of the COVID tickets withdrawn.

One highlight involves a $1,200 ticket handed to Bernie Driedger, who works as a primary care paramedic in La Crete, Alberta, for allegedly not wearing a mask in the town's small grocery store. 

According to the JCCF, Driedger says a “nosy out-of-towner” went around town to take “pictures of La Crete residents and businesses because the majority of people refuse to wear masks.” 

“I believe the photo was sent in to the provincial snitch line,” said Driedger. 

Due to losing “trust in his fellow citizens” Driedger has moved out of the Le Crete community, and stated he received a three-day suspension from work because of the picture.

“On a personal level, I believe wearing a mask is unnatural, unsanitary, and predominately anti God…I believe it to be symbolic. Wearing a mask shows the world I am easily compliant and am a willing participant in orders unsubstantiated by proper science or reason. This also shows that if I give a little on my convictions here, maybe I will give more in the next rollout of unjust violations of our freedoms,” said Driedger.

The JCCF says his ticket has been withdrawn by the Provincial Crown Prosecutor.

Another COVID related fine dropped by the Provincial Crown Prosecutor involves the case of a Calgary man, Trevor Simpson, who was fined $1,200 for “allegedly not practicing safe social distancing, at a lockdown protest in Calgary on Boxing Day.”

According to Simpson, Calgary police were waiting until he was blocks away from the rally and alone. He was then blocked by “four Calgary Police Service officers on bicycles.”

“It was really outlandish to me that they would wait until I was no longer breaking the law to actually fine me!” said Simpson as stated in the JCCF news release.  

“I told the police as they were writing the ticket that it went against my Charter rights and I did not believe the ticket was legal and fair.”

A week ago the JCCF released another powerful video calling out Alberta Premier Jason Kenney for COVID-related emergency laws that led to the recent jailing of Christian Pastor James Coates of Grace Life Church.

Coates is the pastor of Grace Life of Spruce Grove, Alberta, and both he and his church are being represented by the JCCF.

Coates has been detained at the Edmonton Remand Centre, awaiting trial since February 16, after refusing to agree to bail conditions which block his release unless he agrees to not hold church services amid severe coronavirus lockdowns.

On March 5, an Alberta court judge dismissed an appeal to his bail conditions, meaning Coates will remain behind bars for another two months as his trial date is set for May 3 to 5.  

CONTACT YOUR MP: Free Pastor Coates and protect people of faith! Contact your MP, here.