Crown attorneys' group accuses politicians, media of ‘attacks' on justice system
Donna Kellway cites what she calls attacks on the Crown over its sentencing proposals in the cases of two people associated with the 'Freedom Convoy' protest and criticism of counsel in the recent Hockey Canada trial based on their gender.
Several Conservative MPs, including party leader Pierre Poilievre, have attacked the Crown's approach to sentencing two key organizers of the 'Freedom Convoy.'
Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who have yet to be sentenced, were convicted of mischief in April for their roles in organizing the protest, which blockaded streets around Parliament Hill for more than three weeks in early 2022.
In the Toronto Star, a recent opinion piece by a staff columnist questioned why female lawyers would represent men accused of sexual crimes in the Hockey Canada trial.
Kellway says Canadians have seen political attacks on the justice system south of the border and must do everything they can to safeguard the system's independence.
— With files from Sarah Ritchie
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025.
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4 hours ago
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Why Canada's gun policies are viewed as 'gong show' for voters in Alberta byelection
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"It's an accumulation of 40 years of stuff." For Collins, reloading and shooting old rifles is a way to hang on to a bit of history. It gets him outdoors and has connected him to others with the same passion. "I met a bunch of good people," he says. Today, Collins is wearing a beige and brown camouflage baseball cap, a grey T-shirt and khaki cargo shorts. Sometimes, when he talks, he tugs at his long, thick white beard, which extends several inches below his chin. Down in one corner of his basement, Collins opens a large Yukon Gear safe and pulls out one of his favourite firearms. "This one's my main goose hunting gun," he says, holding up a 12-gauge Fabarm Classis shotgun. It's no surprise that Collins, like many firearms owners in this riding, is no fan of federal gun policy. People from outside the region don't always grasp the realities of living in rural Alberta, he suggests. 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