Justice Centre achieves legal peace for “Peace Man”

A Canadian authorized advocacy group is celebrating their success at having expenses dropped in opposition to a convoy protester.

The Justice Centre has introduced the costs in opposition to Dana-Lee Melfi, popularly referred to as ‘Peace Man,’ have been withdrawn on January 23, 2024.

Melfi was within the nation’s capital in the course of the Freedom Convoy protest, was arrested on February 19 2022, in the course of the police crackdown on protestors following the invocation of the Conflict Measures (Emergencies) Act 5 days prior. He was charged with mischief, mischief to property, disobeying a lawful order and obstructing justice. 

Peace Man was conspicuous within the crowd together with his hanging look. His flowing, gray hair and beard, sun shades and cameras drew vital media consideration.

Every day he would take up a peaceable stance close to Parliament Hill, both draped in or carrying a big Canadian flag, to greet passersby with the two-fingered peace signal. He introduced no car and blocked no roads. He had mentioned in varied media interviews, with shops comparable to Canadian Press, New York Instances, Washington Put up, Epoch Instances and plenty of impartial media, that he was within the nation’s capital to encourage dialogue between the federal government and protestors.

Melfi’s trial was scheduled for the week of January 22, 2024. Simply days previous to the trial, a lot of social media movies have been disclosed by the Crown as proof in opposition to Melfi, whose lawyer Monick Grenier notified the Crown she was considering submitting a Late Disclosure Software if she was not profitable in having the proof excluded.

Grenier was ready to attraction to Part 24(2) of the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms, which requires courts to exclude proof from a trial if it may be established that its admission would convey the administration of justice into disrepute. She additionally raised the potential of submitting a Jordan Software, which protects Canadians from unreasonable trial delays.

Including to this complexity, the events have been suggested the week earlier than the trial that the courtroom was double booked. Melfi wouldn’t have been at fault for both potential delay. In 2016, the Supreme Courtroom of Canada dominated that trials should be heard inside 18 months of expenses being laid in accordance with the Constitution part 11(b) proper of Canadians “to be tried inside an affordable time.”

What is often known as the Freedom Convoy protest has since been acknowledged in one other courtroom continuing as a mix of as many as 13 completely different protests. Melfi all the time thought of himself to be finishing up his personal private protest. 

Monick Grenier, counsel for Melfi, said, “My shopper stood in peace all through the protest. After his arrest, Mr. Melfi was set to advance breaches of his rights underneath sections 8, 9 and 10 of the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms. We’re happy with this consequence.”

Sections 7 to 9 of the Constitution learn as follows.

7 Everybody has the correct to life, liberty and safety of the individual and the correct to not be disadvantaged thereof besides in accordance with the ideas of elementary justice.

8 Everybody has the correct to be safe in opposition to unreasonable search or seizure.

9 Everybody has the correct to not be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.

In a four-minute video beneath, posted January 29 Melfi discusses his case and up to date decision.