Ottawa court gives Lich and Barber 18-month conditional sentences

Prominent Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were given 18 month conditional sentences Tuesday in an Ottawa courtroom for their roles in the 2022 blockade that paralysed the city’s downtown, nearly four years after the protest. Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins McVey sentenced both to 12 months of house arrest followed by six months under curfew, and ordered 100 hours of community service; Lich’s curfew will be reduced to about three and a half months to reflect time already spent in custody. The sentences avoid additional time behind bars.

Lich and Barber were convicted in April of mischief for their roles in the roughly three-week protest. Barber was also found guilty of counselling others to disobey a court order restricting continuous honking. The Crown had sought lengthy prison terms, asking for seven years for Lich and eight years for Barber and also asking for an order to seize Barber’s truck. Defence lawyers had urged absolute discharges, saying their clients have already faced substantial restrictions and consequences under strict bail conditions for more than three years.

In delivering sentence, Perkins McVey emphasized the significant community...