James Coates, the pastor of Grace Life Church in the suburbs of Edmonton, has been stuck in jail for more than two weeks, and plans to appeal his bail conditions on Thursday.
He has been charged with violations of the Public Health Act, relating to Alberta's strict lockdown measures, and with breaking bail conditions. His trial date has been set for sometime in May.
According to Global News, a lawyer from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has agreed to represent the jailed pastor, and directly attack the laws that caused him to be charged in the first place.
The Justice Centre claims that his being charged and imprisoned stems from new laws that violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on multiple counts. They are also suing the province to end the lockdowns for everyone, period, for the same reason.
"Charter freedoms do not disappear because the government declares regular church services to be outlawed, while allowing hundreds of people to fill their local Walmarts," said John Carpay, the president of the Justice Centre.
"Pastor Coates is a peaceful Christian minister. The justice of the peace should not have required him to violate his conscience and effectively stop pastoring his church as a condition to be released. This is a miscarriage of justice."
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