A Saskatoon provincial court judge has upheld fines against several people who participated in three “freedom rallies” protesting various COVID-19 public health orders—including two key organizers Mark Friesen and Tamara Lavoie.

Judge Doug Agnew issued written decisions this week related to fines given to several rally attendees for events at the Vimy Memorial in Kiwanis Park on December 5, 2020, December 19, 2020 and April 24, 2021.

Defence lawyers argued the public health orders limiting gathering sizes were unconstitutional. In his ruling, Judge Agnew criticized the vagueness of the defense arguments and wrote that “it is not the Court’s role to hunt through the law to try to find a defense for the accused.”