This email/letter was addressed to Assistant Crown Attorney Siobhain Wetscher and responds to the Crown’s sentencing submissions in the trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber — two prominent organizers of the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa. Lich and Barber were found guilty of mischief in April 2025. During sentencing hearings the Crown asked for prison terms of roughly seven years for Lich and eight years for Barber, a recommendation that many observers described as unusually severe given the non-violent nature of the offences and the broader political context (the 2022 protests also prompted the federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act).
Siobhain.wetscher@ontario.ca
Your sentencing submissions for Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were excessive and unnecessary.
The email reflects my sentiments and thoughts on her sentencing request in that trial. This sentencing request was within her purview and discretion.
Her demand for years of jail time for what Lich and Barber did was unconscionable.
I hope many of us will send similar emails and handwritten notes to her and that they will have a salutary effect.
FAQ
Q: Who are Tamara Lich and Chris Barber?
A: They were organizers of the February 2022 “Freedom Convoy” protests that occupied downtown Ottawa for weeks; both were convicted of mischief in April 2025.
Q: What did the Crown ask for at sentencing?
A: The Crown sought long custodial terms during sentencing — media reports noted recommendations of roughly seven years for Tamara Lich and eight years for Chris Barber.
Q: What is the role of a Crown prosecutor in sentencing?
A: Crown counsel represent the public interest and make sentencing submissions to the court. They have discretion to recommend a sentence but are expected to act as ministers of justice — pursuing fair outcomes consistent with law and precedent rather than simply seeking maximum penalties.