The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) says the Crown has decided to drop all charges against Pastor Michael Thiessen, of Grace Baptist Church in Alliston, ON..The charges stemmed from an incident in April, 2021, when a member of the Ontario Provincial Police conducted surveillance on Grace Baptist Church following complaints of the church allegedly violating capacity limits set under the Reopening Ontario Act. .After a first service concluded, law enforcement officers detained several motorists leaving the church premises, cautioning them about potential fines related to the alleged Act violations..Following the second service, Pastor Michael Thiessen himself was stopped and informed that he was being charged with violating the Reopening Ontario Act due to the church's activities that morning..JCCF stepped in to provide legal representation for Thiessen..The legal team put forward a motion to exclude evidence obtained in what they argued was a violation of Section 10(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This section safeguards the right to counsel without undue delay..The heart of the argument was centered on whether the pastor should have been informed of his right to counsel as soon as he was detained, as required by the Charter..The trial was scheduled for Sept. 14, 2024 but the Crown prosecutor decided to stay the charges.."We are pleased that taxpayer-funded resources will no longer be devoted to this prosecution, which had been carried on pursuant to unscientific laws that were unjustified violations of our Charter rights and freedoms," said John Carpay, President of JCCF.
