APRIL 3d, 2025 – In a significant development in the ongoing legal saga of Freedom Convoy organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, a federal judge has dismissed the Crown’s attempt to apply a conspiracy charge known as the Carter Application. The ruling came as Justice Heather Perkins-McVey delivered her verdict in what has been dubbed Canada’s longest mischief trial. While the Crown failed to secure the conspiracy charge—which would have held Lich and Barber mutually accountable for each other’s actions and statements—the judge upheld the mischief charges against both, finding that prosecutors had proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“The Crown has demonstrated that Lich and Barber committed mischief,” Justice Perkins-McVey stated, according to reports from the Western Standard. However, she rejected the notion that the pair’s actions warranted the Carter Application, emphasizing that the evidence did not support a broader conspiracy framework. The Crown, led by prosecutors Tim Radcliffe and Siobhan Wetscher, had sought to use this legal mechanism to intertwine the defendants’ culpability, potentially strengthening their case for the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for mischief.
The trial, stemming from the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests in Ottawa against COVID-19 mandates, has drawn intense public scrutiny. Lich and Barber were central figures in the movement, which disrupted the capital for weeks. While the defense argued that the accused urged participants to remain lawful, the Crown contended that their leadership infringed on the rights of Ottawa residents to move freely and enjoy their entitlements.
Tamara Lich beat 5 of the 6 charges against her, while Chris Barber beat 5 of the 7 against him. The charge of “Did counsel to commit mischief not committed was stayed against both, both were found not guilty of “indictable offence of intimidation not committed,” “did counsel to commit indictable offence of obstruct police not committed,” “did resist or wilfully obstruct police officer in lawful execution of duty,” as well as being found not guilty of “did wrongfully and without lawful authority for purposes of compelling one or more person to abstain from something they had a lawful right to do… block or obstruct one or more highways,” while both were found guilty of mischief. Chris Barber was also found guilty of “did counsel to commit disobey court order not committed,” while the charge was not laid against Lich.
As of now, no specific sentencing date has been confirmed by 604News. The judge’s ruling marks the end of the trial phase, but details regarding sentencing remain pending. Typically, in Canadian courts, sentencing follows weeks or months after a verdict to allow for preparation of pre-sentencing reports and submissions from both sides. Given the high-profile nature of this case, an update on sentencing is expected soon, though it was not explicitly outlined in the immediate coverage of the verdict.
This decision is a partial victory for the defence, as it avoids the broader implications of a conspiracy conviction, but the guilty verdict on mischief charges keeps Lich and Barber facing significant consequences. The case continues to polarize opinions, with supporters viewing it as a stand against government overreach and critics decrying the disruption caused by the protests. Further details on sentencing will be critical in determining the final chapter of this historic trial.
