The Federal Court has advised People's Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier his challenge to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's ban on travel will be heard on September 19. .Among others included in the challenge is former Newfoundland premier and Canadian Charter signatory Brian Peckford. ."I, along with former premier Brian Peckford and others, am challenging Trudeau's ban on travel for the unvaccinated," said Bernier in a tweet that included an official court document indicating the challenge will be heard by the court on September 19. .The order states the hearing has been scheduled "for a duration of five days." .The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced in February it was representing several Canadians in a legal challenge of the travel ban "on the basis that their Charter rights and freedoms have been infringed." .On March 22, the JCCF then announced its legal team had "11 affidavits in the Federal Court lawsuit to strike down the federal government's mandatory COVID-19 vaccine requirement for air travellers." .“What I find perhaps the most disturbing is that the federal government has mandated a two-tiered society where one group of people has benefits while another group is disadvantaged," said Peckford in his sworn affidavit. ."As a person who has chosen not to receive the new medical treatment, I am all of a sudden treated as an outcast, labelled a “racist” and “misogynist”, and as an undesirable person not fit to be seated with vaccinated people on an airplane."."The COVID-19 vaccinated are allowed to travel by airplane and to see their families and the unvaccinated are not. This is not the Canada I know and love, and this type of segregation causes me utmost sadness.”.The vaccination mandate has banned approximately six million unvaccinated Canadians from being able to fly within or outside of Canada, according to a JCCF news release. .In October, the federal government imposed the mandatory vaccination policy for anyone travelling by air, train or ship. ."The Federal Court has consolidated the Justice Centre action with three other similar cases, brought by other unrelated parties, asking for the travel ban to be ruled unconstitutional," said JCCF. ."All applicants have asked the Federal Court to hear the case on an expedited basis given the serious infringement on Canadians’ mobility and other rights.".All parties have agreed to the following timeline:.May 16 – Completion of cross-examination on Affidavits.June 6 – Service and filing of Applicants’ Records.June 27 – Service and filing of Respondent’s Record.Fall 2022 – Hearing (now scheduled for September 19)
