![]() In April 2021, Grace Life Church was seized by the government, which placed a double-layer barricade fence around the building, erected a fence around the land, and had armed police officers and hired security patrolling the premises to prevent the congregation from gathering in prayer. He told the court that his religious beliefs required him to fulfill his duty as a minister and lead his congregation in worship. At the time, Pastor Coates said he would not promise to stop exercising his Charter freedoms of conscience, religion, freedom of assembly, speech, and association. Pastor Coates was then denied bail following his refusal to sign an undertaking to stop pastoring his church and congregation as a condition of release. As a result of holding church services, Pastor Coates was jailed for one month and six days in 2021, charged with violating public health orders in place at the time restricting church attendance, not having congregants wear masks, and not enforcing government mandates on social distancing. Pastor Coates and his congregation decided to go back to in-person worship. ![]() At the time, the provincial government had promised lockdowns and school and business closures would last just 14 days, to “flatten the curve.” Those two weeks turned into many more months. However, long before this court decision, during the height of COVID, Pastor Coates and his church were charged with violating the Public Health Act for holding normal church services on Sunday, after first trying online worship during the initial weeks of lockdown restrictions. Justice Romaine's decision found that the CMOH orders up until September 2021, the time frame covered by the legal action, were indeed “ultra vires,” meaning beyond the powers provided by law.
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