Human rights lawyer wins peace bond against white supremacist
OTTAWA, Ont. — The Peterborough-based leader of a white nationalist group has been ordered to enter into a peace bond with an Ottawa human rights lawyer.
Lawyer Richard Warman, who works with the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, requested the peace bond after the network was listed as one of the suggested targets in an online posting attributed to Canadian Nationalist Front chairman Kevin Goudreau in March.
Warman asked Peterborough police to investigate, but they did not lay charges. He said that to his knowledge, this is the first time a peace bond has been sought by human rights advocates in the face of threats.
“I think this may be a good self-help remedy where charges can’t or aren’t pursued in the face of targeted threats against human rights advocates, so I’m glad to now have the precedent.”
The online posting was made in the wake of March 15 mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 51 dead.
“Hypothetically if your (sic) going to do Lone Wolf action, do it right,” said the post, which went on to name “valid high value targets” such as the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, human rights commissions, police hate crimes units, immigration lawyers and media outlets.
The post also suggested targets should be shot twice to ensure that they are dead.
“Remember always double tap both hemispheres of the brain because some people survive a bullet to the head, bombing is combersom (sic) and clumsy, to (sic) much potential for collateral damage of innocent people getting hit by shrapnel etc. Women are often worst (sic) than men besides being mouthy NDP types but no children!” said the post.
Warman said he felt the posting indirectly communicated with him that he and his colleagues at the Canadian AntiHate Network should be murdered by being shot twice.
“I think any reasonable person would take that as a threat.”
Goudreau has said that his Facebook account had been hacked and reiterated this when making his submission in front of Justice of the Peace Stephanie Goffin-Boyd in Ottawa on Monday, but he declined to make the same statement under oath, Warman said.
According to the Department of Justice, a peace bond may be obtained by any person who fears that another person may injure them, their spouse or common-law partner or a child, or may damage their property. Breaching any condition of the bond is a criminal offence. Conviction carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.
Police are not necessarily involved in a peace bond application. Under the Criminal Code, any person may apply to a court to obtain a peace bond against another individual. A peace bond signed by a defendant is forwarded to the national RCMP headquarters, and a record of it is added to the national Canadian Police Information Computer database, and can be used by police anywhere in Canada.
Under the terms of the peace bond obtained by Warman, which has a one-yer term ending Aug. 12, 2020, Goudreau has been ordered not communicate any threats of violence online or by any other means toward Warman, former Canadian Jewish Congress chief executive Bernie Farber, Ottawa journalist and human rights advocate Amira El Ghawaby and Evan Balgord, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. All four are directors or officers of the Canadian AntiHate Network.
Goudreau was also ordered not to be within 200 metres of any place where he knows Warman to be present, not to possess any weapons as defined by the Criminal Code, which includes a pellet gun, firearm, imitation firearm, crossbow, a prohibited or restricted weapon or device, ammunition or explosive substance that could be used or intended for use to cause death or injury or to threaten or intimidate.
“We applied for this bond because the police declined to lay charges after Goudreau told his supporters to murder us, journalists, and government workers,” said Warman.