EDMONTON: A ticket issued under the Alberta Public Health Act to a man represented by the Justice Centre has been withdrawn by Crown prosecutors. On May 10, 2020, Cory Teichroew, of Edmonton, was fined $1,200 while attending a peaceful protesting against government infringements on freedoms at the Alberta Legislature grounds. The Justice Centre represents Mr. Teichroew at no charge and has also submitted a complaint to the Alberta Law Enforcement and Oversight Branch regarding the three Alberta Sheriffs who handcuffed Mr. Teichroew and issued him the ticket.
On the afternoon of May 10, 2020, Mr. Teichroew, and approximately 50 other individuals, independently attended the Legislature grounds to peacefully rally and express their views regarding the Canadian Government gun ban and the Alberta Government COVID lockdown, among other issues.
During the rally, teams of three Sheriffs each moved among the attendees, targeting particular individuals for detentions and removal from the grounds. One team of Sheriffs pointed at Mr. Teichroew and said “that one” as they approached him. The Sheriffs grabbed and handcuffed Mr. Teichroew immediately upon reaching him and forced him to leave the legislature grounds. He was then detained and ticketed.
Mr. Teichroew’s ticket was in the amount of $1,200, for allegedly contravening section 73(1) of the Public Health Act. The ticket did not state what order, regulation or section of the Public Health Act Mr. Teichroew allegedly contravened. The Sheriffs did not explain to Mr. Teichroew what was unlawful about his conduct, or state why he was handcuffed, forcibly removed from the Legislature grounds and detained.
Crown prosecutors have now withdrawn the ticket issued to Mr. Teichroew. Meanwhile, he has submitted a complaint regarding the conduct of the Alberta Sheriffs handcuffed and ticketed him.
“The arbitrary targeting, handcuffing, removal from the Legislature grounds and ticketing of Mr. Teichroew had no basis in law and was an abuse of power,” states Justice Centre Lawyer James Kitchen.
“Although the Justice Centre is pleased to see that the Crown has dropped this ticket, tacitly acknowledging the unconstitutionality of it, the ticket should never have been issued in the first place. In a free society, people have the right to assemble and express themselves at important symbolic places like the Legislature grounds without fear of police detention and ticketing—even when the protest they attend is not a politically correct one. We look forward to the Sheriffs involved being held accountable for their actions,” concludes Kitchen.
