BC Judge Questions If Provincial Health Officer Appreciated Right to Religious Freedom When Issuing COVID Restrictions

Dr. Bonnie Henry talks about the next steps in B.C.'s COVID-19 Immunization Plan during a press conference at Legislature in Victoria, B.C., Canada, on Jan. 22, 2021. Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press

A British Columbia judge questioned whether the province’s top doctor appreciated the right to religious freedom when she issued COVID-19 restrictions that banned in-person worship services.

In a hearing on March 3 over a petition challenging Dr. Bonnie Henry’s COVID-19 orders, B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson questioned whether the provincial health officer took into account the right to religious freedom under Canadian law.