The Supreme Court of Canada has chosen not to consider an appeal from multiple churches that contested Manitoba’s restrictions. COVID-19 It was about limitations imposed by the provincial government.
The churches' lawyers claimed that the public health orders in 2020 and 2021, which initially shut down in-person religious services and later allowed them with capacity limits, violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
They were unsuccessful in making this argument in two lower courts.
Last year, the Manitoba Court of Appeal determined that the restrictions were necessary in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and were permissible under the Charter.
As is customary, the Supreme Court of Canada did not reveal the reasoning behind its decision not to review the case.
The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a legal advocacy group based in Calgary that assisted the churches, expressed disappointment with the high court’s ruling.
A statement from the center released on Thursday indicated that the applicants’ legal team considered the case to be crucial in offering guidance to governments in formulating public health measures.
