N.S. Court of Appeal rules injunction on COVID protest shouldn't have been granted

The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal has ruled a lower court judge went too far last year when he banned protests against COVID-19 measures at a hearing that proceeded without the protesters present.

The original, sweeping court order was granted by provincial Supreme Court Justice Scott Norton on May 14, 2021, the day before three outdoor gatherings were planned to protest public health restrictions brought on by the pandemic.

The judge effectively banned public gatherings planned for the next day, basing the decision on evidence from the province's chief medical officer of health that the outdoor gatherings would spread COVID-19.