The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is taking the Nova Scotia government to court over an order that banned protests against lockdowns and public health restrictions.
The civil liberties group is before the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal today to appeal a court order that granted the provincial government the power to prevent a protest from occurring during a wave of COVID.
In May 2021, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge granted the provincial government an injunction to stop Canadians from protesting.
According to Justice Scott Norton, the injunction also prohibited organizers from promoting rallies on social media and allowed authorities to arrest anyone who fails to follow the ruling.
The injunction was eventually rescinded when the government decided it was no longer needed.
This is the second time the CCLA has attempted to appeal the court order. In June 2021, Justice James Chipman refused to hear the challenge and ruled that a challenge to the original court order was unnecessary because the injunction had been lifted.
Despite the injunction being lifted, the CCLA says it is taking the Nova Scotia government to court to protect the rights of Canadians to protest.
According to a True North Freedom Score, Nova Scotia was one of the most locked down provinces in Canada when taking into account business closures, school openings, in-person dining and nearly a dozen other variables.
Based on the report, Nova Scotia and Manitoba received the lowest Freedom Score of -8, while Ontario followed closely behind with a score of -6.
While locking Nova Scotians down, the government has made several attempts to shut down protests related to COVID.
During the Freedom Convoy when truckers from across Canada made their way to Ottawa to protest lockdowns and mandates, Nova Scotia made it illegal to gather alongside the interprovincial highway in support of the truckers.
Under the“Highway Blockade Ban” put in place on Jan. 28, fines for breaking the law “per incident” can reach $10,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations.
Less than a week later on Feb. 4, the province extended the ban to all roads, streets and highways.
