The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) announced COVID-19 charges against an Ontario pastor were withdrawn Monday. .“We are pleased the Crown prosecutor has withdrawn the charges against Pastor R,” said JCCF lawyer Henna Parmar in a Thursday press release. .“Canadians’ religious freedom should be honoured and protected, even during times of crisis.” .The release said R was charged under the Reopening Ontario Act. It said he was alleged to have exceeded the 10-person gathering limit for his drive-in church service during the stay-at-home orders in 2021. .The Ontario government imposed gathering limits to respond to COVID-19 cases in 2021. The limits made exceptions for drive-in religious services. .The release went on to say police came to R’s home during an online Bible study session to serve him with a ticket for $880 for allegedly violating the Reopening Ontario Act by holding a drive-in service the previous week. He informed the officers the regulations made exceptions for it. .The officers disagreed R’s church had the right to hold a drive-in service. He had complied with all COVID-19 restrictions. .The release said it took 18 months before R was offered a date for pre-trial negotiations, and no disclosure had been received at this point. His lawyer argued 18 months to go to pre-trial was an unreasonable delay..The Crown withdrew all charges. .R has been a pastor for 20 years. He serves the community through various charitable work, such as running soup kitchens, feeding homeless people, organizing programs to help people defeat addiction, and providing at-risk youth with a safe space. .Parmar said Section 11b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms “protects the accused against unreasonable delay.”.“Eighteen months without any disclosure, and without a date for trial, is exactly the type of delay that the Supreme Court of Canada was trying to prevent in the case of R v. Jordan,” she said. .The JCCF said in November the Provincial Court of Alberta acquitted Fairview Baptist Church pastor Tim Stephens on charges of violating COVID-19 restrictions. .READ MORE: Pastor Stephens acquitted on charges of breaching COVID public health orders.Stephens spent a total of 21 days in jail..“We are pleased that the court acquitted Pastor Stephens on the charges of not complying with a public health order,” said the JCCF.
