The chief justice of British Columbia’s Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver a decision today in a case involving three churches in the province who say restrictions put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic violate parishioners’ rights and freedoms.
Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson will decide whether to grant the province an injunction against the churches to stop them from holding in-person services.
The injunction request by B.C.’s attorney general and provincial health officer came after the three churches–the Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley, the Immanuel Covenant Reformed Church in Abbotsford and Free Reformed Church of Chilliwack–were among more than a dozen individuals and churches that filed the petition last month.
The churches say the restrictions violate several of their Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom rights, including freedom of religion, belief, expression, peaceful assembly and association.
The Riverside Calvary Chapel in Langley. (CBC/Jon Hernandez)
Their challenge is set to be heard in March.
According to the court documents, the province is seeking an order that would prevent elders and members from gathering to worship in their churches and from organizing celebrations, ceremonies, baptisms, funerals or any other “event” as defined in provincial health orders.
The order would also authorize police to detain anyone they have grounds to believe is planning to attend a religious service organized by any of the three churches.
A lawyer who represents the churches, Paul Jaffe, told a hearing on Friday his clients have adopted safety protocols called for by the province.
Jaffe said it doesn’t make sense that people are allowed to gather to do yoga or to study history but not to talk about God.
With files from CBC News, The Canadian Press
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