Monthly Archives: February 2022

Supreme Court punches another hole in Freedom of Information Act with protection for all trooper photos - Arkansas Times

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The Arkansas Supreme Court today reversed and dismissed a ruling that blogger Russ Racop was entitled to photographs of all state troopers under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Supreme Court sided with the State Police, which argued that it would effectively identify undercover officers who are specifically protected by law by releasing photographs of all other tropers.

Clearly, comparing information already available to the public, from sources like the Arkansas Transparency websitewhich provides names, service dates, salaries, race, gender, and other identifying information of State employees, including state trooperswith a list of non-undercover troopers would reveal the identities of the undercover officers. This is because knowing who is not undercover would reveal that the officers whose photographs were not released are undercover. Accordingly, the trial court erred in ordering disclosure under FOIA, and the order is therefore reversed and the case dismissed.

The Supreme Court seems to have put photographs of all law officers off-limits.

Racop, representing himself, had requested in 2020 a list of non-undercover officers, the same as hed requested in 2019. The State Police resisted. Racop noted that the State Police routinely posted photos of troopers on social media and applying the exemption it sought here would swallow the public records rule. The argument was non-persuasive, the Court said in an opinion written by Justice Robin Wynne.

Great analysis from lawyer Matt Campbell (Blue Hog Report) on the ruling, beginning with the obvious retreat from the courts love of following statutory language (except situationally).

See original here:

Supreme Court punches another hole in Freedom of Information Act with protection for all trooper photos - Arkansas Times

SALISBURY Angela Galloway has been with Yadkin Path Montessori School for less than a year, but she is already making a big impact.

The elementary guide is one of five honored as Educators of the Year by Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina.The awards were doled out in recognition of National School Choice week.

Galloway was nominated for the award by the schools administration, which commended her for the transition from traditional education to Montessori and how she individualizes instruction for each student.

She was born in Florida but has mostly lived in western North Carolina and the Piedmont.

Galloway had a long journey to education. She knew she wanted to be a teacher when she was 9, but she decided to get married and focus on her family first.

She decided to go back to school in her early 30s and earned an early education degree from Pfeiffer University. She taught for Rowan-Salisbury Schools starting in January of 2013 before moving to North Hills Christian School for six years. In the spring, she decided to leave North Hills for Montessori.

The method always interested her because it is student driven and gives students the opportunity to master concepts at their own pace.

She serves as the elementary guide at Yadkin Path, and this is the first year the school has had an elementary program.

Thankfully I have very good administration, Galloway said.

She first knew she wanted to get into education in elementary school because her first grade teacher inspired her by loving her students and making learning fun.

I loved her so much that I wanted to become like her, Galloway said.

Galloway knew she had been nominated for the award but was shocked to win.

This is throughout all of North Carolina, so the chances of winning arent huge, Galloway said.

She said she felt honored to win an award after just six months of working at Yadkin Path and taking on a new kind of teaching.

It reassured me that what Im doing makes a difference and matters to those that I work with and the students I teach, she said.

Galloway said she feels like she made the right decision even though the move to Montessori was a big change for her.

Director Myra Tannehill said Galloway was a strong contender for the award and she was not surprised but delighted she had won.

Tannehill pointed out the classroom has only been open for a few months and Galloway may not have a Montessori background but her heart is in education. She said Galloway is good at discerning what each child needs

You teach to the childrens interests, you teach to their strengths and then you challenge them, Tannehill said.

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Yadkin Path teacher one of five awarded for educational freedom - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

Does anyone notice that America is becoming more totalitarian? Does anyone care? Tyranny is flourishing in the U.S. because Americans are not aligning their behaviors with natural behavioral laws.

Most Americans do not even know these laws exist. Laws are fixed, inherent, immutable and unalienable principles. Humans cannot make laws. Humans cannot change or eliminate laws. Humans make rules and call them laws. Laws of behavior apply to all humans. Physical laws, such as gravity and thermodynamics, cannot be changed or altered by humans. This is the same with behavioral laws.

The results of natural laws exist whether humans know, understand and align with these laws or not. Humans have the gift of free will. Natural behavioral laws work in two ways. The amount of freedom in a society is proportionate to the amount of objective moral behavior in a society. Conversely, the amount of slavery is proportionate to the amount of immoral behavior in a society.

Morality is objective. A moral behavior is any action that does not initiate physical harm to another sentient being. This includes behaviors that support the initiation of physical harm to others. This is not pacifism. We choose to either align with the laws of freedom or not.

I could refuse to align with the law of gravity and walk off a four-story building. No matter what happens, I am going to fall to my death. Even if I have a propulsion device, at some point, I will descend to the surface of the Earth. Gravity is constant. Gravitational force can be different due to the masses of objects and the distances between them. However, gravity itself is always present and constant throughout the whole universe.

The results of behavioral laws can be different depending on how much or how little humans align with these laws individually. The results can also vary depending on how many people in a large society align or do not align with behavioral laws.

The results of behavioral laws are most visible in large societies over long periods of time. Compare the levels of freedom in America starting in the 1980s to the present day. Observe how over a period of 40 years, America slowly became less free. This is how natural behavioral laws work.

The founders of America had a good understanding of these laws. The Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Rights do not come from kings or governments. Only privileges come from a ruling class. Driving is a right; a license to drive is a privilege giving a person permission to engage in the right to travel freely. Natural rights are birthrights endowed by the Creator, or God. This is not a religion.

To be clear, the founders of America were not completely enlightened. Abhorrent practices such as the slavery of dark-skinned people and the destruction of the original Americans were common. However, these nefarious activities had been going on for thousands of years. The founders of America were not going to change this overnight.

What the founders did was give information to the public about the truth of natural behavioral laws. For the first time in history, a nation was founded on the principle that human beings do not have the right to rule over other human beings. This was a great start.

Bill Hoey lives in Barnegat.

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Freedom vs. Tyranny: We Have a Choice - The SandPaper

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CAMPAIGNER VICKY PHELAN has been awarded the Freedom of Limerick this evening for her work seeking justice for women affected by the Cervical Check scandal.

The honour is reserved for people who have made exceptional or unique contributions to the common good or to persons who have made outstanding contributions to the life of Limerick.

The decision to bestow the award wasunanimously approvedat a special meeting of Limerick City and County Council in December.

President Michael D Higgins is among past recipients of the award.

Accepting the award this evening, the campaigner said she was delighted to be here today to accept this myself.

I often say I never thought Id see myself doing the kind of campaigning and advocacy work Im doing now.

Once I started, I couldnt stop.

We still have a long way to go but I do believe we have achieved a lot over the last four years

She said she was absolutely compelled to speak out because I knew it was helping other people and that she saw a huge amount of people out there who were suffering and didnt have a voice like I did, so I had to use that voice.

Vicky Phelan is originally from Kilkenny and has lived in Limerick for many years.

Im not a born and bred Limerick person, but at this stage Ive lived longer in Limerick than in Kilkenny, so I think you could say Im a Limerick person now, she said.

As the fifth woman to receive the honour, she urged for more women to be considered as recipients in the future.

She dedicated the award to Ruth Morrissey,a fellow Cervical Check campaigner who died in 2020 at age 39.

I would like to dedicate this award to a born and bred Limerick woman who I think would also deserve this recognition Ruth Morrissey. This is for Ruth.

Other past recipients of the award include Maud Gonne, US Presidents John F Kennedy and Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II, UL Founding President Dr Ed Walsh and rugby player Paul OConnell.

Its going to enable me to herd a herd of sheep up OConnell Street and not get penalised for it. It goes back to those kind of days. But you know what? Its the symbolism of it, Phelan told RTs Morning Ireland programme earlier today.

Theres very few people who get this type of award and Im only the fifth woman. So, for me, that means a huge amount.

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Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Councillor Daniel Butler, said: Vicky Phelan is an inspiration to all of us. She is a tireless fighter for women who have been affected by the Cervical Check scandal, and her work encapsulates the Freedom of Limerick, and how women should be treated.

Her work has transformed the lives and saved the lives of Irish women and helped us talk of end of life in an important way, in turn helping to make Ireland a richer and more equal society.

Despite her own health, she continues to face her challenges head on with a drive and determination that has won the love, admiration and respect of the people of Limerick, Ireland and the world.

She is being honoured for her work in uncovering the Cervical Check scandal and her tireless support of other women who have been affected and are fighting for justice a fight that continues. Her work encapsulates the ideals of the Freedom of Limerick, Butler concluded.

Additional reporting by Lauren Boland

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'I had to use my voice': Vicky Phelan awarded the Freedom of Limerick - TheJournal.ie

While the slow crawl protest at the Emerson port of entry on Highway 75 was set to end Wednesday, truckers aren't about to go home.

Instead they will transition to the Manitoba Legislature on Friday,

In a message to convoy participants on Wednesday, organizer Rick Wall said they've joined forces with another group of organizers based in Winnipeg.

"We are excited about the opportunity of joining forces with this group where we will take the same approach in Winnipeg as they are in Ottawa," he said in the message. "The message is clear - we do not move until all mandates are lifted."

That wasn't the plan Tuesday, at which point organizers and participants were planning to stay on site.

"Our end goal is to have all mandates lifted before we retreat from protesting, so were going to take it one day at a time," he said Tuesday.

The Manitoba Convoy held a one-day slow crawl protest Jan. 17 before organizing their latest event beginning Saturday, Jan. 29. The event saw truckers and supporters come to a complete stop at the top of every hour for five minutes. It continued through Monday, halting on Tuesday because of blizzard conditions, continuing Wednesday morning.

Wall, whos also the president of Winkler based Richland Transport, said they talked with RCMP when planning the event, talks that included approval of the five minute stop every hour and agreed upon speeds they must travel.

Thats in stark contrast to what officials are now calling an "illegal blockade" at the Coutts, Alberta border crossing where talks have broken down between RCMP and organizers.

"We have to make sure that this is done out of love and respect and this has to be done legally," Wall said. "Thats very important to us."

Wall criticized Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who told reporters Monday that he would not meet with the group in Ottawa, condemning Nazi symbolism, racist imagery and desecration of war memorials.

"Were not who Justin Trudeau portrays us to be," Wall said. "Were practicing our right to a peaceful protest."

GREG VANDERMEULEN / THE CARILLON

John Neufelds truck hasnt been seeing much action for the last couple of weeks. The Hochfeld long haul trucker has been sidelined by the vaccine mandate.

Wall said contact hes had with convoy participants in Ottawa tells a different story and he said those causing the trouble may not even be convoy participants. He also suggested that media bias was part of the reason those stories got told.

But he condemns activities such as the people spotted dancing on the tomb of the unknown soldier. "I dont care if its my best friend, if theyre doing something like that, I will completely condemn that," he said. "Thats not what Im about, thats not what our movement is about."

The atmosphere at the visitors centre near Emerson was very different. Entire families left trucks for bathroom breaks and a free meal cooked on site by Hutterites.

Others handed out snacks and windshield washer fluid at intersections on Highway 75.

"The generosity is overwhelming," Wall said.

He remains confident that the effort will not be in vain.

"People are committed, were sticking this through until we see change," he said.

Hutterites dish up support

That commitment was present too at a cooking trailer set up just off Highway 75 at the visitors centre. Provided by Horizon Colony, located just north of Horndean, convoy participants were offered burgers, sausages, hotdogs and soup.

Steve Hofer estimated they would go through 300 gallons on Saturday alone.

"We wanted to show our respect and support," he explained.

The colony had planned to serve truckers as they went through Headingley last week but were turned away from the Flying J by RCMP who kept the convoy out as well. Instead of heading home, they joined the convoy travelling all the way to Kenora where they served truckers beginning at midnight.

GREG VANDERMEULEN / THE CARILLON

Steve Hofer of Horizon Colony looks on as other colony members serve up free food to hungry truckers.

"It was such a great feeling seeing all the support out on the highway," he said. "It is emotional."

Hofer said they support the elimination of vaccine mandates.

"People have been locked up for two years and we just want to get our lives back," he said. "We dont want society to be segregated."

That was a popular theme for truckers attending the protest as well.

Winklers Russ Suderman expressed his frustration. "Im just tired of everything thats going on," he said.

A dispatcher with a local trucking company, Suderman said taking part in the convoy is "incredible".

Henry Klassen drove two and a half hours from Arborg to take part. "I feel that were losing our freedom and I feel its time that everybody stands up," he said.

Klassen had COVID before vaccinations were available but said hes remained unvaccinated since.

John Neufeld came from Hochfeld, a village south of Winkler to take part. For him the event is about freedom.

"I think our government has gone very overboard with all this COVID stuff, and taking our freedoms away," he said. "Ive got three children, the oldest is 14 and the youngest is 10. Im doing it for them really."

A long haul trucker, Neufeld is currently unemployed as a result of the vaccine mandate and his refusal to get vaccinated. He said it should be a choice.

"Im pro freedom so whoever wants to get vaccinated, thats their choice."

Jordan Toews of Grunthal was also on hand and he too said people should be able to choose. He said it was encouraging to take part in the convoy. "The last two years if youre not for whats going on, you feel alone," he said. "Im realizing were not the minority."

GREG VANDERMEULEN / THE CARILLON

Henry Klassen drove to the border from Arborg to take part.

Opposed to convoy

Not everyone supports the convoy.

Earlier last week, the Canadian Trucking Alliance issued a statement opposing the convoy and supporting the vaccine mandate. On Saturday, they reiterated their stance, adding a message for truckers participating in the Ottawa event.

"To those in the trucking industry that have chosen to participate in this protest regarding cross border mandates, we ask that you engage in a peaceful demonstration today then leave the City of Ottawa to avoid any issues to the welfare and safety of the citizens of Ottawa. Your behaviour today will not only reflect upon you and your family but the 300,000 plus fellow Canadians that, like you, take great pride in our industry," they stated.

Even the company names on trucks in the protest may not be supporting those drivers.

A handful of Steinbach based Penner International trucks were in Saturdays event near Emerson. General Manager Les Kehler declined an interview with The Carillon but provided a statement on Monday saying the company does not support this type of action.

"As a company we support the direction of the Manitoba Trucking Association and Canadian Trucking Alliance, which is not supportive of the convoy," he said in the emailed statement. "These are individual owner operators who own their own trucks. What they do with their personal time is not our business. Our brand being displayed is disappointing and (we) are working to correct that."

MLA disciplined

Support for the convoy also cost one MLA a role hes held for less than two weeks.

Borderland MLA Josh Guenter joined the convoy on Saturday, sharing his support in a Facebook post.

He was not made available for an interview on Monday, after Premier Heather Stefanson issued a statement removing Guenter from his role as legislative assistant for the minister of health.

"As I have stated before, I expect all representatives of the government, whether ministers or their legislative assistants, to support efforts to get all Manitobans vaccinated," she said.

Stefanson expressed support for the right to peacefully protest, but condemned the use of anti-Semitic, racist imagery and desecration of war memorials or statues.

"Concerns with the border mandate for truckers do have merit and should be examined further by our federal government to find better solutions," she said.

Stefanson also used the statement to urge all eligible Manitobans to get vaccinated, including a third dose, to protect their communities and the health system.

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Freedom convoy plans move to Winnipeg - The Carillon - Winnipeg Free Press

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Princeton history professor and Sojourner Truth biographer Nell Irvin Painter joins Lawrence ODonnell to discuss the strength that Sojourner Truth displayed in 1828 when she became one of the first Black women to successfully sue a white man in court, winning her sons freedom from slavery.Feb. 3, 2022

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Recovered docs show how Sojourner Truth won sons freedom from white man - MSNBC

Free:A Child and a Country at the End of Historyby lea ypiw. w. norton, 288 pages, $27.95

Behind the Iron Curtain, everyone valued freedom. But they saw it in radically different ways. In Free, Lea Ypi describes growing up in Albania, in the long senescence of the Eastern Bloc. Ypi was taught to revere Stalin and the late Albanian autocrat Enver Hoxha. She recalls being horrified when she found out that a much-loved statue of old Uncle Stalin had been decapitated by anti-communists: I tried to think like my teacher. We had socialism. Socialism gave us freedom. The protestors were mistaken. Nobody was looking for freedom. Everyone was free, just like me.

For Ypi, the end of communism meant disillusionment. In Poland, where I live, people had fewer illusions in the first place: Nobody would have admired a statue of Stalin, still less of one of his charmless goons like Bolesaw Bierut or Wanda Wasilewska. At best, communism inspired the grudging acquiescence of a hungry man working for a hated boss.

Poles were quite aware of the contrast between their own society and those of the free world. It would of course be condescending to suggest that they spent their lives dreaming about the multi-colored fruits of Western liberalism. They had their own culture. But people tuned in to Radio Free Europe, and awaited packages if they had relatives abroad. Solidarno was driven by the sense that there could be a better, freer, and more prosperous Poland without communism.

The fall of the Soviet Union exposed the bodies that such monuments were built on, and exposed Ypis own familial skeletons as she learned how much her relatives had sacrificed and lost.

Yet as much as freedom brought hope and opportunity, it brought its own trials. In Albania, as Gavin Haynes explored in a fascinating recent essay, pyramid schemesbuilt so high as to put the Egyptians in their placebrought the country to the point of civil war. Men like Ypis father were made professionally and existentially redundant by economic reforms. Organized criminals exploited and abused vulnerable markets.

So was the new world just another version of the old? Ypi, in my opinion, tries too hard to draw equivalences between communist and capitalist states. Reflecting on the struggles faced by Albanian migrants, for example, she asks whether there is a difference between the border guards who keep people inside a country and the border guards who keep people out of them. But is there really no difference between a man who holds you hostage and a man who does not leave his door unlocked?

Yet for all the problems one might have with her leftist leaningsand at the end of the book Ypi has embraced Marxism again, if in a somewhat opaque formFree raises troubling questions about the post-Soviet world. What kind of freedom did we envisage for the countries of the Eastern Bloc? What were they free to do?

In Poland, too, freedom brought challenges. Free-market reforms encouraged economic growth but unemployment rose as well. Organized criminals, like the notorious Pruszkw Mafia, cleaned up. Yet what radical transition entails no challenges?

The biggest problem was ideological. Freedom from... can be a very unifying goal. Freedom from communism. Freedom from Nazism. Freedom from imperialism. The sheer scale and power of an oppressive institution unites different enemies around a single aim. Freedom to... is a much more difficult concept. Freedom to what? The answers are more numerous, and more ambiguous.

Poland is far from being alone in struggling with this question, but struggle it has. Achieving freedom from communism, Poles have struggled with the question of what they are free to do. The plan that followed 1989, Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes write in Imitation and its Discontents,

Ypi sums it up in an image. Europe was like a long tunnel, she writes, When the journey started it didnt occur to anyone to ask where the tunnel ended, whether the light would fail and what was on the other side.

At the far end of Polands dark tunnel, the divisions hardened. Hold on, asked Polish conservativesnow most prominently represented by the ruling Law and Justice partyhad Poles not been struggling for national independence since 1795? How close did they want to get to a cosmopolitan and increasingly supranational European Union? Had it not been the Catholic Church that had united Poles in their struggles against the communists? So, why now imitate the secular West?

Hold on, Polish liberals said in turn. Had their predecessors not struggled against communist censorship, intrusiveness, and indoctrinationagainst, in other words, the subordination of the individual by the state? Should they not in turn resist conservative attempts to set the boundaries of their individual freedom when it came to reproduction, sexuality, and artistic expression?

Liberals are redirecting freedom from... arguments here, toward governmental and religious authorities. In practice, conservatives tend to do so as well, such as in the philosopher and Law and Justice politician Ryszard Legutkos elegant little book The Demon in Democracy, which argues, with considerable data drawn from Western experiences, that liberal conceptions of freedom from restraint harden into demands for freedom from discrimination, freedom from judgement, and freedom from all forms of inequality.

Freedom, as a concept, is malleable enough that almost everyone can claim to act in its defense. Amid protests against anti-abortion laws, for example, liberals marched in defense of the freedom of women and conservatives stood in defense of the freedom of the unborn. As the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on, meanwhile, in one of the charming pseudo-paradoxes that a complex world presents our models with, liberals were likelier to emphasize freedom from risk and conservatives were likelier to emphasize freedom of choice.

At a recent event, the powerful Law and Justice chairman Jarosaw Kaczynski was heckled by protestors demanding a free Poland. Kaczynski turned these accusations around, accusing them of being the heirs of the sinister communist security services, and of trying to destroy Poland.

Freedom is never as intoxicating or as unifying as in its absence. Total lack of choice inspires various people to lock arms and to resist oppression. Freedom of choice, once acquired, divides them as it exposes the fundamental incompatibility of values. Freedom is once again construed defensively, though in a more fragmented and bitter fashion.

Perversely, this can inspire nostalgia for totalitarianism, or a sneaking enthusiasm at the prospect of external threats. This is a mistake. Oppression and war are only unifying because they have so many victims.

It is also a cop-out. Polarization, and resultant pessimism, even in nations that have experienced great material development since the fall of communism, illuminates the inescapability of ideological conflict. Nations must develop positive models of freedom, as well as wage war against its absence and endangerment, for people to feel free together and not embattled by division.

Ben Sixsmith isthe author of Noughties: Eleven Echoes of a Dismal Decade.

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Freedom After Communism | Ben Sixsmith - First Things

MOSCOW, February 3. /TASS/. The Kremlin regrets Germanys decision to ban Russian state broadcaster RT DE, presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said on Thursday.

"This situation is absolutely clear. The Russian media, I would even say, the international media are banned from broadcasting in Germany. This is nothing but an infringement on freedom of speech," the Kremlin spokesman noted. "We can only regret [this decision]," Peskov said.

At the same time, the Kremlin spokesman refrained from any comments on Russias retaliatory measures. "The foreign ministry will announce them, there is no need to skip ahead," he said.

The German media regulator has banned RT DE from broadcasting in German in Germany due to lack of a license, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday. According to the document, RT DE, which requires a broadcasting license under German law, was neither granted nor requested permission. It therefore ordered the channel to halt broadcasting on-air, on the Internet, through the mobile app and through the satellite.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would announce retaliatory measures on Thursday. The diplomatic service stated that the decision of the German authorities had left Moscow no choice but to implement retaliatory measures against German media accredited in Russia and some Internet intermediaries that groundlessly deleted the RT DEs accounts from their platforms.

Read the original here:

Kremlin slams Germanys move to ban RT DE as violation of freedom of speech - TASS

ST. THOMAS On the final day of the constitutional challenge between two churches and the province of Ontario, section one of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was in sharp focus.

While section two outlines the fundamental freedoms everyone is entitled to freedom of religion, expression, assembly, association section one says these rights are subject to reasonable limits prescribed by law, as long as those limits can be justified.

The Church of God, in Aylmer, southeast of London, and Trinity Bible Chapel, in Woolwich Township, claim their fundamental freedoms were infringed upon when the province imposed limits on their ability to gather as a group.

They say the limits imposed were an overreach by the province, that the COVID-19 virus did not measure up to the doom and gloom presented, and that the province could have slowed the spread of the virus without targeting and restricting the way religious groups practised their beliefs.

At times in spring of 2021, Ontario placed restrictions on religious gatherings so that only 10 could gather indoors and outdoors. Then indoor limits rose to 15 per cent of building capacity. Then 25 per cent and 30 per cent, while outdoor limits rose to 100 people, and then as many as could fill a space while staying distanced two metres apart.

Lawyers defending Ontarios restrictions said when the strict limitations were imposed, COVID-19 was a new and potentially fatal disease that was shown to have the ability to spread quickly through a population. At times when community transmission was at its highest and hospital capacity was at the brink, additional measures were needed.

When things were dire, drastic measures were needed, and they were taken temporarily, said Josh Hunter, a lawyer with the Attorney General. The governments decisions were made in consultation with medical experts.

In the provinces submissions, Hunter responded to some of the questions raised by the churches attorneys earlier this week. The churches legal team presented on Monday and part of Tuesday in virtual hearings, run by a St. Thomas court.

Why not just enforce masking and distancing restrictions without capacity limitations?

When community prevalence was at its highest, when the most limiting restrictions were in place, alternative restrictions wouldnt be enough, he said. With friends and families congregating, distancing requirements wouldnt be followed and masking may not happen. With hundreds of people gathering, it would also be difficult for organizers to control.

The only way to reduce the risk posed by religious gatherings was to put the stringent measures in place, for temporary period of time, while also allowing for online services, drive-in services, or multiple smaller services, he said.

What about retail restrictions, where hundreds were allowed in a building to shop?

Retail settings typically have one door in, so management can ensure people enter with a mask, Hunter said. Retail shoppers are transient. Theyre not sitting with friends, singing and talking for long periods of time like in religious gatherings.

This activity (religious gathering) has a risk, he said. When restrictions were able to be loosened safely, without compromising community spread, they were.

On Wednesday morning the provinces Andrea Bolieiro and Justice Renee Pomerance discussed the impact of provincially imposed capacity limits on the freedom of church members to practice their religion.

Trinity Bible Chapels senior pastor Jacob Reaume wrote in his affidavit that the church needed to gather as one body. A church that does not gather is like a body with its parts scattered across a city, the document read.

Bolieiro said when the churches were limited to 10 people, this was an infringement of peoples freedom of religion, but it can be justified because they were still able to run virtual services or offer drive-in services.

When the limit was 15 per cent capacity, the church could have offered four or five indoor services to serve the entire congregation. This would have been a cost but not an infringement, she said. These were extraordinary times, and at Trinity Bible Chapel at least, multiple services had been held each week before the pandemic anyways.

If the churches believe that all members needed to meet in person, as one body, in order for their rights to be upheld, the lawyers didnt show evidence of that belief, she said. As they are the ones claiming their rights have been violated, the burden is on them to show evidence to prove this point, and they didnt, she said.

Justice Pomerance said she would review arguments on both sides and return with a decision at a later date.

Originally posted here:

COVID restrictions vs. freedom of religion: charter challenge arguments conclude - TheRecord.com

The grieving friends and family of Louth murder victims Bethany Vincent and her son Darren Henson walked out of Lincoln Crown Court in solidarity, as killer Daniel Boulton was escorted away to spend his next 40 years in a cell.

A jury this week found Boulton, 30, guilty of murdering his ex-partner Bethany, 26, and her nine-year-old son Darren, known as DJ,and a judge did not delay in sentencing him to life in prison.

The case may now be closed from a legal perspective, but the torture faced by Bethany and DJs family and friends is far from over.

Bethany Vincent and her son Darren were killed in a devastating stabbing attack. | Photo: Facebook

Bethanys mum Caroline Vincent hasdescribed how her world came to end when police officers knocked on her door and said her daughter had passed away on May 31 last year, stabbed to death by Boulton at her own home.

She said: When they told me DJ had passed away as well, I just wanted to die.My beautiful girl and my grandson were gone.

I was sure they had got it wrong.DJ was my special boy, he was born just 12 weeks after my dad passed away.

Daniel Boulton has ruined so many lives.No mother should have to bury their daughter, never mind their grandson.

It is all because of one selfish man Daniel Boulton.

And DJs father, Kieran Henson, says his whole reason to live has now been taken away.

He said: I took my son home to his mum at 4pm, and a few hours later a police officer woke me and told me my son is no longer with us.

The worst part was that I will never hear him (DJ) again shout daddy.

I have gone from being a dad, to not being a dad. I dont work anymore.

My whole reason to live was taken away.

Tragically, Mrs Vincent also revealed her daughter had been due to move house just four days later to an address unknown by Boulton.

People laying flowers in memory of Bethany and Darren. | Photo: Graeme Whitworth

Following Bethany and DJs deaths a charity called Be Their Voice was set up in Louth to speak up for victims of domestic abuse.

In a statement after the verdict, the charity said: Our hearts and minds have never been far away from Bethanyand DJ since their deaths, and never more so now.

We shared inthe shock of their deaths with our community, and from thisdeveloped our passion and commitment to ensure they did notdie in vain.

We will move forward to create a fitting legacy tothem, by raising awareness of relationship and domestic abuse tohelp individuals recognise the early signs of toxic behaviours, andby signposting victims to support.

We send our continued love and support to Bethanys family andfriends; and hope the creation of such a legacy brings a measureof peace and comfort to them moving forward.

Daniel Boulton must serve at least 40 years in jail. | Photo: Lincolnshire Police

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