The Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice Friday, seeking an injunction to stop the federal government’s quarantine hotels.
The CCF was in court along with five individual applicants who are either seeking to travel imminently, or have just returned from travelling, several for compassionate reasons.
The hearing Friday was a preliminary step in the legal process and it could be days or weeks before the justice makes a final ruling.
Christine Van Geyn, the CCF's Litigation Director, wrote an op-ed for the Toronto Sun that criticized the government's system calling it “one of the most poorly implemented and restrictive responses to COVID-19 brought by any level of government.”
The organization is an independent, non-partisan registered charity whose mission is to defend the constitutional rights and freedoms of Canadians in the courts of law and public opinion.
“The nonsensical nature of the quarantine hotels and the exemptions is no surprise,” added Van Geyn. “The federal Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu, admitted that there is a lack of complete data to support the hotel quarantine requirement.”
Ottawa’s quarantine hotel policy is facing other legal challenges, including two in Alberta and one in Quebec.
“In the interest of both safety and justice, the federal government should repeal the quarantine hotel requirement. But until that happens, it will be up to the courts,” wrote Van Geyn.
A live stream of Friday morning’s hearing can be watched on Zoom.
