Freedom Convoy protester Tamara Lich gets to stay out of prison after her bail hearing concluded on Wednesday morning..Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips disagreed with the Crown's lawyer who said Lich had violated her bail conditions. Phillips also said Lich "having had a taste of jail," mitigated her risk of reoffending..The judge said he did not concur that Lich had breached her release conditions by agreeing to receive an award. He added that Lich can be trusted to respect the conditions of her release..She was released with a long list of conditions, including a ban from all social media and an order not to "support anything related to the Freedom Convoy.".The terms of Lich's release were intended to stop a similar protest from happening in Ottawa, the judge said, adding the court does not seek to control people's political opinions.."The courts are not a thought police. We seek only to control conduct to the extent that certain behaviour will violate or likely lead to violation of the law," Phillips said..The protest is over and has left Ottawa, he said. He added it would be "practically impossible" to mount a similar protest in the capital again..At her two-day bail review last week, Lich's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, sought an amendment to the terms of her release to allow her to visit Ottawa and to use social media..Phillips rejected Greenspon's request that Lich be allowed to get back onto social media. Phillips told the court Lich was of a generation capable of managing without social media and that she could stay in touch with people by phone and text..March 28, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) notified Lich that she had been selected for its 2022 George Jonas Freedom Award. Her acceptance of the invitation to accept the award — to be presented in Toronto in June — was the source of much debate between her and Crown prosecutor Moiz Karimjee. The judge ruled that Lich had not breached the terms of her bail by accepting JCCF's invitation..Asked if she believed acceptance of the invitation was a breach of her bail conditions and was supporting the Freedom Convoy, Lich said, "I don't feel that this is a breach. I don't feel that that's what the recognition is for. ... I feel that the recognition is for inspiring Canadians to hold the government to account to the rule of law and to uphold their Charter rights," she continued..The judge also ruled he would modify Lich's bail conditions to allow her to come to Ontario but restrict her from entering Ottawa's downtown core..Lich's reasons for travelling to Ottawa is subject to a court-ordered publication ban and cannot be disclosed.
