Toronto-based legal charity The Democracy Fund (TDF) has successfully overturned convictions against a group of Amish individuals fined for failing to use the federal government’s ArriveCan app.

More than $38,000 in fines have now been waived after months of legal advocacy.

The Amish, who crossed into Canada via Niagara Falls during the COVID-19 pandemic, were charged under the Quarantine Act for not completing the mandatory ArriveCan submission via the controversial and flawed cell phone application —something their faith and traditional lifestyle, which eschews modern technology, made effectively impossible.

Many were convicted in absentia, never properly notified of their trial dates or charges, and subsequently saddled with tens of thousands in fines.

TDF lawyers argued that the convictions violated due process and unfairly targeted individuals for their religiously-motivated refusal to use smartphones or digital services. After seven months of negotiations and court appearances, a judge agreed: the convictions were set aside, and the fines erased.

🚨UPDATE: TDF secures new victory for Amish: over $38,000 in fines waived

TDF secures new victory for Amish facing ArriveCan-related tickets: more than $38,000 in fines waived.

NIAGARA FALLS, ON: The Democracy Fund (TDF) has achieved a significant legal victory for a group of… pic.twitter.com/0V5g8nRRPO

— The Democracy Fund (@TDF_Can) June 5, 2025

“This outcome is a testament to the importance of access to justice for all Canadians, regardless of their background or way of life,” said TDF Litigation Director Mark Joseph. “We are pleased that these families can now move forward without the burden of these oppressive fines.”

The Amish families involved rely on farming and tight-knit community support. The risk of being financially ruined over pandemic-era tech mandates was not just unjust—it threatened their very way of life.

TDF continues to represent other members of the Amish community and Canadians caught in the web of bureaucratic overreach during COVID. The organization fights for constitutional rights and due process in an era where those ideals have often taken a back seat to politics and compliance theater.

REBEL NEWS: Help the Amish! (TDF)

A small, peaceful Amish community in Ontario has been hit with nearly $400,000 in COVID fines because they didn’t comply with the government’s ArriveCAN app during the pandemic. These fines aren’t just numbers on paper — they’ve severely impacted the lives of these Amish families. But their livelihoods and religious freedoms are now at stake, and they need us to stand with them. The Democracy Fund has agreed to take on their case, but they need your support. Please chip in a donation right here to contribute to their legal fund. Your donation will go directly to providing legal representation to fight these unjust fines. (The Democracy Fund is a registered Canadian charity, so you’ll receive a tax receipt for your contribution!)

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