SASKATOON, SK: The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is disappointed to announce that the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of the Charter challenge to the provincial government’s 10-person outdoor gathering restrictions put in place in 2021.
The unanimous decision was released on May 15, 2024, by Justice J.A. Kalmakoff writing for the three-panel hearing of the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan.
The Justice Centre provided for lawyers to represent the plaintiffs, Jasmin Grandel and Darrell Mills, who had challenged the outdoor gathering restrictions as violations of their Charter-protected freedoms of thought, belief, opinion and expression, association, and peaceful assembly.
Previously, on September 20, 2022, Justice D. B. Konkin of the Court of King’s Bench of Saskatchewan ruled against them, upholding the restrictions.
While the 10-person outdoor gathering restrictions were in effect, the Government of Saskatchewan, including Premier Scott Moe and Chief Medical Health Officer Saqib Shahab, publicly supported large Black Lives Matter protests in violation of outdoor gathering restrictions. Meanwhile, Canadians attending protests against Covid gathering restrictions were targeted and fined only six months later by the same government.
More background on the case is available on the Justice Centre’s website here.
Andre Memauri, lawyer for Ms. Grandel and Mr. Mills, says, “We are carefully reviewing the Court’s decision and advising our clients accordingly.”
