Freedom Convoy organizer Tamara Lich has been granted a new bail hearing, after Ontario Superior Court Justice Andrew Goodman ruled that the earlier order on July 8 for Lich’s detainment was “inappropriate.”.That hearing is now ongoing Tuesday afternoon..Goodman said Justice of the Peace Paul Harris had made “erroneous” conclusions and “misapprehended” the evidence against Lich when deciding she broke her bail conditions..Lich was re-arrested after having contact with fellow protest leader Tom Marazzo at an awards gala in Toronto last month. The Crown argued that the contact meant Lich violated her bail conditions, as she had been ordered not to communicate with key convoy organizers except through counsel or in the presence of counsel..On July 8, Justice of the Peace Paul Harris told Lich, "your detention is necessary to maintain confidence in the administration of justice," before denying her bail..On Monday, Lich's lawyer Lawrence Greenspon characterized the interaction between Lich and Marazzo as “nothing more than a handshake” and a group photo. Fellow defence counsel Eric Granger said there was no evidence the interactions “had anything to do with reviving a street protest.” .Meanwhile, Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee said Lich was a "decision maker" in the strategy to "gridlock" the city..But on Tuesday, Superior Court Justice Andrew Goodman said Harris, "erred and misapprehended the evidence.".Goodman said the Harris had a "bold assertion" that Lich endangered the public, and that freedom protests still going on in Ottawa should be attributed to her. He said Harris also should have "grappled with" the circumstances of Lich being a non-violent, first-time offender..Karimjee had suggested Lich could be given a 10-year sentence for mischief and obstruction, which Harris agreed with when denying her bail. But Goodman said Harris did not make a critical assessment of Karimjee's claims, as no mischief case has ever resulted in a decade-long sentence.."It is doubtful that the applicant would face any penitentiary sentence," he said..Goodman also suggested that Harris, "may not be well trained in law... and cannot be held to the same standard as a judge," and should not have accepted the Crowns submissions as gospel. "There should have been some assessment of reality and reasonableness," he added.. "Finally, the Justice of the Peace asserts the vulnerable victims of the convoy to Ottawa protest will continue to suffer if people, such as Lich and Marazzo, are allowed to socialize in whatever way they see fit. There is no evidence that a 3-second interaction would cause such fear," Goodman said..Lich has now spent an accumulated 48 days in custody at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre since her initial arrest.
