Charges dismissed against pair accused of harassing N.S. medical officer during COVID – Halifax

A Nova Scotia judge has dismissed charges against two people accused of harassing the province's chief medical officer during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the case had taken took long to reach the trial stage.

On March 23, 2022, police said an investigation into anti-mask protests outside the home of Dr. Robert Strang led to charges of criminal harassment against Jeremy MacKenzie and Morgan Guptill.

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MacKenzie, founder of the far-right online group Diagolon, and Guptill were also charged with intimidation of a health professional, mischief and making harassing phone calls.

The pair were scheduled to go on trial next week, but provincial court Judge Jill Hartlen decided Wednesday that the case had dragged on for too long.

In 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that most criminal trials must finish within 18 months after a person is charged, and Hartlen decided there had been 19 months of waiting, once delays caused by the defence were considered.

MacKenzie, who describes himself as the “Raging Dissident,” has denied allegations of extremism, saying many of his supporters are firearms enthusiasts who do not belong to any kind of militia.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2024.