Paul Jaffe, a lawyer for the group of petitioners that includes three Fraser Valley churches, has argued the health orders substantially and arbitrarily interfere with his clients’ charter right to freedom of religion
Stand with Pastor Coates
Friday, March 5, 2021 @ 8:18 AM
Pastor James Coates is a faithful pastor and follower of God. As a result, he ended up in jail. Pastor Coates leads GraceLife Church in Alberta, Canada. When the government issued edicts that limited the free exercise of worship with overbearing COVID-19 restrictions, he chose to follow Christ. In true Gestapo form, government officials attended one of the church’s services in February and then charged the pastor with violating an order to shut down the church by the end of January.
According to Breitbart, Pastor Coates turned himself in but rejected an offer by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to release him from jail if he promised to stop holding church services on Sunday.
James Coates has been in custody since February 16. (Screenshot: GraceLife Church of Edmonton/YouTube)
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A judge from the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench in Edmonton has ruled that Pastor James Coates will remain in custody until his May trial date, unless he agrees to bail conditions.
Lawyers for Coates argued on Thursday at a bail hearing the Coates could not in conscience agree to the conditions that required him to comply with provincial health orders limiting worship gatherings to 15 per cent.
Justice Peter Michalyshyn ruled on Friday morning that there were no legal errors in the initial release decision, according to the Edmonton Journal.
VANCOUVER — A British Columbia Supreme Court judge has reserved his decision on a request from three churches to throw out provincial health orders that prevent them from holding in-person services. . . .
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