Cory Morgan: Is Applying the Full Force of the Law Against Organizers of the Coutts and Ottawa Protests Justice or Vengeance?

Commentary The conviction of the Alberta men known as the Coutts Three doesn’t bode well for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who are facing similar charges for the protests in Ottawa in 2022. The term “mischief,” which the three were found guilty of, understates the gravity of the potential penalties. Alex Van Herk, Marco Van Huigenbos, and Gerhard Janzen could face sentences as long as 10 years for their roles in the border blockade in Coutts, Alberta, in February 2022. The Coutts Three have often been confused with men labelled as the Coutts Four who were charged with the more serious crime of conspiring to murder RCMP officers. While all of these alleged offences were related to the disruption in Coutts at the time, there was no association between the two groups. Due to the glacial pace of Canada’s justice system, it can be easy for people to forget about the details of the event after 26 months....