Veteran Pleads Guilty in Court Martial for Criticizing Vaccine Mandates

James Topp demonstrates against COVID-19 mandates at the Canada-U.S. border by the Pacific Highway in Surrey, B.C., on Feb. 12, 2022. (Jeff Sandes/The Epoch Times)

Military veteran James Topp, who marched from Vancouver to Ottawa to protest against vaccine mandates, has pleaded guilty to two counts of prejudice to good order and discipline for speaking out against the mandates.

Mr. Topp underwent a court martial on Nov. 14 at the armoury of the Royal Westminster Regiment, a reserve unit in New Westminster, B.C., where he was last in service.

The former Warrant Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) spoke out publicly against the mandates around the time related protests were taking place across the country in the winter of 2022.

The Freedom Convoy was at the time blocking Ottawa streets and other protests were taking place at Canada-U.S. border points.

The military laid four charges against Mr. Topp, two of which were related to videos he posted online in which he wore the CAF dress uniform. The veteran criticized the mandates and called on Canadians to stand up against them.

The two videos are related to the two counts of prejudice to good order and discipline according to National Defence Act section 129.

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The prosecution abandoned the two other counts related to not wearing the CAF uniform appropriately.

Military Judge Commander Julie Deschênes presiding over the court martial explained that the maximum punishment according to section 129 is dismissal with disgrace from the service.

Mr. Topp refused to comply with the CAF vaccine mandate, which came into force in October 2021, and was hence forced out and released under item 5(f), “unsuitable for further service.”

The judge will hand down a sentence at a later date.

Cross-Country March

After uploading the videos that led to the charges, Mr. Topp embarked on a cross-country on-foot journey from Vancouver to Ottawa to protest the mandates.

As a civilian working for the RCMP at the time, Mr. Topp was also affected by the public service vaccine mandate, having been placed on leave without pay.

Veteran James Topp takes a knee in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa on June 30, 2022. Topp walked 4,300 kilometres from Vancouver to protest against vaccine mandates. (Noé Chartier/The Epoch Times)

Mr. Topp left Vancouver on Feb. 20, 2022, and arrived at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa four months later on June 30. He was joined on the last leg of the march by over 1,000 supporters.

“Everyone I met, from Vancouver to Ottawa, you’re the ones responsible for getting me here,” he told the crowd at the War Memorial. “I could not have done it without the encouragement and the support in every possible way.”

The Liberal government had suspended the public service vaccine mandate a few days prior on June 20, 2022. Meanwhile, the CAF lightened its mandate in October 2022.

The military lost hundreds of soldiers through the mandate, whether through voluntary releases or dismissals.

Two lawsuits for abuse of power have been filed against the CAF and Department of National Defence leadership in relation to COVID-19 policies.