The trial of Pastor James Coates began today in Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The first day of the trial included testimony from an inspector with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and is expected to include an “expert witness” from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which is representing Coates.
“The Justice Centre intends to argue at this Monday, May 3 trial that Pastor Coates’ Charter rights and freedoms have been violated, and the court should therefore throw out the Public Health Act charge against Pastor Coates,” said the JCCF in a news release. “One expert witness will be called by the Justice Centre during this first part of the trial.”
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James Coates is the pastor of GraceLife Church in Spruce Grove, Alberta. He is facing one charge of violating the Public Health Act due to holding worship services in defiance of capacity and social distancing requirements. Authorities shuttered the church last month, but the congregation has met at least once since then in an undisclosed location.
Today, AHS inspector Janine Hanrahan testified that after AHS received multiple complaints about the church, she visited three times to inspect it, the first in July 2020. At these inspections, Hanrahan saw people not wearing masks and not practicing social distancing. During one inspection, she heard Coates tell a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer that Premier Jason Kenney was hiding behind Alberta’s chief medical officer, whom Coates called a “dictator.”
JCCF says that the trial, which is set to take four days, is being held in Edmonton “specifically so it can take place in a courtroom that has the infrastructure to permit the expected audience of hundreds to observe the trial virtually.” Up to 1,000 people are permitted to listen to the trial online, but there will be no video streaming of the proceedings. One of the likely reasons why is that the public health prosecutor was granted permission not to reveal her identity after she expressed concerns about security.
SOURCE: CHRISTIAN NEWS NOW