LIVE UPDATES: Tamara Lich trial muddled by 'disclosure disputes'

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

The trial of two Freedom Convoy organizers enters Day 25 in Ottawa, as Tamara Lich and co-accused Chris Barber contest several non-violent charges against their person.

In February 2022, the Convoy demonstrations drew thousands of Canadians from coast to coast to oppose the draconian public health mandates imposed by the federal government and provinces.

According to the Public Order Emergency Commission (POEC), the weeks-long protest in front of Parliament Hill was rooted in a "loss of faith in government" and "economic hardship" caused by their response to the COVID pandemic.

Commissioner Paul Rouleau acknowledged a "diversity" of views among the protestors, of which some supposedly desired to commit "dangerous acts," including an 'occupation' of the nation’s capital, and several border blockades at the time.

Day 25 - Tamara Lich enters the Ottawa courthouse for the continuation of the trial concerning the freedom convoy.https://t.co/0PllO9LU4v for more. pic.twitter.com/e6JJokNp78

— Guillaume Roy (@guillaum3roy) November 1, 2023

Among its chief advocates include Lich and Barber, who face charges of mischief, obstructing police, counselling others to commit mischief, and intimidation. The former has spent 49 days in prison as of writing.

While the Commissioner considered the Emergencies Act an "appropriate" and "effective" deterrent to the Convoy protests, he admitted that other "reasonable and informed people" could reach different conclusions on invoking the Act.

Rouleau would openly criticized the feds for not adequately preparing for the Freedom Convoy, which could have avoided the measures taken under the Emergencies Act, he said.

It is not a "tool of convenience" but a "tool of last resort," added Rouleau.

Day 24 video report; basically explaining the primary disclosure disputes in the Chris Barber and Tamara Lich trial that were decided and partially decided during Tuesday's proceedings. https://t.co/L2EPVWaSCZ

— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) November 1, 2023

Follow along with updates from Robert Kraychik below:

Day 25 of the Chris Barber/Tamara Lich trial; very long delay as the Crown and defense teams discussed a potential mutually agreeable disclosure status for 1100+ pages of Ottawa Police Service officers' text messages with several redactions.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA

— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) November 1, 2023

The disclosure dispute over internal Ottawa Police Service emails - which the Crown says are protected by solicitor-client privilege - is still unresolved. Justice Heather Perkins-McVey said she needs more time to consider this matter.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA

— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) November 1, 2023

Recall that these Ottawa Police Service (OPS) emails did not include lawyers as senders or recipients, so the claim of solicitor-client privilege by the Crown - via the OPS - is contested by the defense teams.https://t.co/CCLTguGouWhttps://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA

— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) November 1, 2023

Const. Jordan Blonde agreed w/an OPS colleague's description of "catastrophic failure" resulting from OPS management's denial of discretion to its Police Liaison Team (PLT) to negotiate w/the Freedom Convoy to reduce the protest's footprint in Ottawa.https://t.co/TWDiMnjMOA

— Robert Kraychik (@rkraychik) November 1, 2023