Choose denies Tamara Lich’s request to journey beneath home arrest

A decide has denied Tamara Lich’s request to journey internationally whereas she serves a home arrest sentence, together with occurring a Caribbean cruise and to the White House.

Lich was discovered responsible in April 2025 of mischief and different offences for her function in organizing and sustaining the 2022 convoy protest that paralyzed downtown Ottawa for practically a month.

She was handed a conditional sentence final October that included 12 months beneath home arrest. 

A month after being sentenced, Lich requested for and obtained permission to depart her dwelling in Medicine Hat, Alta., to attend her grandchildren’s faculty. Since then, she has travelled to different provinces for her job with Rebel News.

In July, Lich requested for permission to journey internationally.

Lich appeared just about in courtroom from the passenger seat of a automobile on Thursday, carrying a Rebel News hoodie because the ruling was learn.

“The fact that an activity can be described as work does not compel permission to leave the jurisdiction,” stated Justice Heather Perkins-McVey, spending round 45 minutes sharing her causes for the choice.

Lich was additionally instructed there have to be “legitimate circumstances” for non permanent journey exterior of Alberta. Perkins-McVey instructed Lich to make particular person requests to take action.

Against precept of sentence

In her preliminary request to journey overseas, Lich did not provide the courtroom an in depth itinerary, however her request talked about attending press occasions on the White House, occurring a seven-day Caribbean cruise with Rebel News, and travelling to Arizona to talk with Rob Schneider, a right-wing comic whose controversial content material prompted his elimination from a Saskatchewan stage in 2024.

Crown prosecutors stated the extra exemptions would give her a “blank cheque” to journey internationally. They opposed the request, arguing that granting it was pointless and would diminish the impression of her sentence “to an unacceptable extent.”

Her defence stated in July she had “abided by the terms of her conditional sentence to the letter.”

In Perkins-McVey’s ruling Thursday, she stated there was not sufficient proof to point out Lich’s request is required, together with to take care of employment, and it could go in opposition to the precept of her sentence.

The decide characterised the Rebel-sponsored Caribbean cruise as a “commercial event” and “fundraiser.” She stated the Arizona journey was “promotional” and far of the proposed worldwide work may very well be accomplished from Canada.

Speaking after courtroom, Lich’s lawyer Lawrence Greenspon stated the decide’s choice was “very considered.”

“There’s nothing in what the judge said today, or in the sentence itself, that prevents [Lich] in any way from speaking freely, and associating freely and working to the extent that she can by the conditions that were imposed.”

Other authorized issues

Fellow 2022 convoy chief Chris Barber, who was convicted and sentenced alongside Lich, travels south of the border by his work as a business truck driver.

Sentenced Oct. 7, 2025, the 2 have already served the majority of their sentences, however they’re removed from being finished with Ontario courtrooms.

Crown prosecutors are interesting the decide’s findings and sentencing, arguing each ought to have been discovered responsible of extra crimes than they had been in addition to given harsher sentences. Barber and Lich have accepted their sentences, however are interesting the decide’s preliminary choice.

The Ontario Court of Appeal is not more likely to hear these arguments till early 2027.

Lich and Barber are additionally concerned in civil courtroom issues.