Albertans who were charged during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely see their charges dropped..A court decision ruled the province's health orders were invalid because they breached the Public Health Act..The Alberta Crown Prosecutions Service (ACPS) said it has reviewed the decision in Ingram vs Alberta and has concluded there is no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction in relation to Public Health Act charges involving the contravention of the disputed orders from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.."Subsequently, ACPS will be taking appropriate steps to deal with these matters in due course," Alberta Crown Prosecutions Service said..Whistle Stop Cafe owner Chris Scott and Pastor James Coates are among those who will see charges dropped..RCMP officers handcuffed and hauled away Scott during the pandemic..Scott protested restrictions as the RCMP seized all of Scott's establishment’s booze and then days later padlocked the restaurant after a dawn raid..The Whistle Stop Cafe became a flashpoint in resistance to provincial lockdown orders and restrictions imposed by the former Jason Kenney government, as Scott defied the orders and “illegally” reopened in mid-January of 2021..ACPS said 14 prosecutions, including the cases of pastor James Coates, Scott and rodeo organizer Ty Northcott, remain before the courts..In May, 2021, Ty Northcott organized a "no more lockdowns rodeo rally" which was held just south of Red Deer..In an email to CBC News, prosecutor Karen Thorsrud confirmed she will not call further evidence in the cases against Coates or his church, Gracelife, and will "invite the court to acquit both defendants of all charges.".Coates is an Edmonton-area pastor who repeatedly broke COVID-19 restrictions to hold services and was thrown in jail because of his actions..A judge threw Coates, of Spruce Grove, in the slammer after he twice refused to tell the court he would stop his services..“On Sunday, Feb. 14, the RCMP, with AHS, attended the GraceLife Church to assess compliance in relation to conditions issued to the Pastor on Feb. 7. Observations were made that James Coates was not complying with his undertaking release conditions, and the church was not in compliance with the Public Health Order,” said RCMP in a release..Now it appears those charges will be dropped.."This is HUGE!! Charges pursuant to the orders under the Public Health Act in Alberta will no longer be tried. Will be interesting to see how the province manages this moving forward," tweeted lawyer Eva Chipiuk.."Also how affected citizens move forward. What happens to those already fined, or worse, imprisoned? What happens to the businesses lost due to these orders? It takes time to hold the government to account through the court system, but there is always an opportunity for individual citizens to hold their government to account by asking questions, getting educated and involved.".Chipiuk said a healthy democracy demands active citizenship.."What are you doing to hold your government to account?" Chipiuk said..READ MORE: UCP government will review court case that threw out Hinshaw's COVID orders.The UCP government said it will review the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta’s decision to invalidate the public health orders of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), in Ingram v. Alberta.."The King’s Bench decision on Ingram v. Alberta (CMOH) was a very detailed decision," Alberta Minister of Justice Mickey Amery told the Western Standard in an emailed statement.."We are reviewing it. As there is a 30-day appeal period, we are not able to comment further.".READ MORE: Alberta court strikes down Hinshaw's public health orders that violated Charter freedoms.The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) said it is pleased with the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta’s decision to invalidate the public health orders of Hinshaw, in Ingram v. Alberta..JCCF is a legal advocacy organization that defends citizens' fundamental freedoms under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms..The Alberta court struck down these lockdown measures because they were effectively issued by Cabinet rather than by the CMOH. Hinshaw testified at trial that politicians were the final decision-makers and she merely provided advice and recommendations..The Western Standard reached out to Coates and Scott for comment, but so far hasn't heard back.
