A brand new prosecution, over the same thing

Dear friends of justice and freedom,

I am very grateful for your generosity, which enabled me to fight back successfully against an unjust criminal prosecution, which several lawyers (including current practicing Crown Prosecutors) have told me was politically motivated. The Crown stayed the criminal charges against me in October 2023, and I did not plead guilty to any charge.

However, the Alberta Law Society has now commenced a brand new prosecution against me, over events that happened three years ago and that have already been fully dealt with by the Manitoba Law Society.

During the era of lockdowns and vaccine passports, I was disgusted by the hypocrisy of politicians and bureaucrats who violated Covid rules, all while punishing – even jailing – others who violated Covid rules. Politicians and government health officials across Canada were breaking the very rules that they were imposing on Canadians.

I had heard rumours about Manitoba’s premier, chief health officer and chief judge breaking Covid rules. In 2021, I hired a private investigator to see if these rumours about these three individuals were true. I was subjected to more than two years of disciplinary proceedings at the hands of the Manitoba Law Society. I was also jailed for 23 hours as part of a criminal prosecution which several lawyers (including three Crown Prosecutors) have told me was baseless and politically motivated.

In 2021, when the Alberta Law Society received a complaint against me (about the surveillance of government officials in Manitoba), the Alberta Law Society told the complainant that it had delegated disciplinary matters to the Manitoba Law Society. The Alberta Law Society told the complainant that it was closing its file, and that the Manitoba Law Society had exclusive jurisdiction.

Relying on this clear and unequivocal commitment from the Alberta Law Society, and believing that the only disciplinary proceedings would be the ones that I faced in Manitoba, I agreed to a lifetime ban on practicing law in Manitoba. I also paid $5,000 to the Manitoba Law Society.

After the Manitoba Law Society disciplinary proceedings had concluded, and after the Crown had stayed the criminal charges (to which I did not plead guilty), I tendered my resignation to the Alberta Law Society in December 2023.

One does not need to be a lawyer, or a member of any law society, in order to advocate for the Charter rights and freedoms of all Canadians.

Sadly, the Alberta Law Society now refuses to accept my resignation, and has instead commenced a brand new prosecution against me, over the same issues already dealt with by the Manitoba Law Society.

The Alberta Law Society is violating its written commitment to me, abusing its power, and making very poor use of the mandatory membership fees that Alberta lawyers are required to pay to the Alberta Law Society each year.

I am bearing the costs of paying for my own legal defence. No Justice Centre funds have been expended or will be expended in respect of this matter. I am extremely grateful for the encouragement and financial assistance which I have personally received from good people who have supported me throughout 2023, as I defended myself against criminal charges which lawyers have described to me as baseless, malicious and politically motivated.

I now seek to raise $20,000 to pay for legal representation, to deal with this brand new prosecution by the Alberta Law Society.

For the last 25 years, I’ve dedicated my legal career to defending the Charter rights and freedoms of all Canadians. I am covering all of my legal costs personally. When the current legal matters with the Alberta Law Society are concluded, I will shut down this GiveSendGo website. If there are any excess funds raised for my legal defence, I will donate them to the Justice Centre.

I will continue to defend freedom in Canada vigorously and without apology.

Will you make a contribution towards my legal defence?

With gratitude,

John Carpay, B.A., LL.B.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

John Carpay innocent of criminal wrongdoing, Crown stays charges

On October 27, 2023, Manitoba Crown Prosecutors stayed the criminal charges they had brought against Alberta lawyer and Justice Centre president John Carpay for intimidation (Criminal Code section 423) and obstructing justice (Criminal Code section 139).

It was more than two years ago that Mr. Carpay apologized for having made an error in judgment by having included a judge in the passive surveillance of government officials. The sole purpose and intent of this passive surveillance in 2021 was to attempt to determine the veracity, or lack thereof, of rumours that Manitoba government officials (including judges) were not complying with the Covid restrictions which they themselves had placed on the people of Manitoba. During lockdowns, media reported that many government officials across Canada did not follow Covid restrictions.

The decision of the Crown to stay the charges reflects the fact that there was never any criminal wrongdoing on the part of Mr. Carpay. There was nothing criminal about Mr. Carpay’s error in judgment. There was never any intent to interfere with the course of justice or with the judicial process.

More than 17 months after this passive surveillance had taken place, Mr. Carpay was unexpectedly arrested on December 30, 2022, and spent 23 hours in jail during his Christmas holidays.

Lawyers in Manitoba and across Canada routinely hire private investigators, particularly in the practice of family law and insurance law. Crown Prosecutors know that there is nothing criminal about operating a private investigation business, or retaining a private investigator, or conducting passive surveillance. It is worth noting that no criminal charges were filed against the private investigators who conducted surveillance on the judge and on other government officials.

Further to a court appearance on Friday October 27, Mr. Carpay has entered into a civil Peace Bond Order through which he has agreed not to practice law for three years, and by which Mr. Carpay also agreed not to contact the Manitoba judge Glenn Joyal for three years. Mr. Carpay has never contacted this judge previously, apart from writing a letter of apology in October 2021. Mr. Carpay is already an inactive (non-practicing) lawyer, and will continue to carry out his responsibilities with the Justice Centre as he has been doing since 2010: fundraising, media relations, public speaking, and writing articles and columns.

Depriving a man of his liberty and of the company of his family and friends, particularly during his short Christmas vacation, was extremely stressful for Mr. Carpay and his family. It appears that these charges were brought against Mr. Carpay for political reasons, in an attempt to intimidate him.

Upon his release from prison on December 31, 2022, Mr. Carpay stated in a short video: “I am not going to be intimidated, and I’m going to keep on speaking out against … all the violations of our rights and freedoms.”

Mr. Carpay has borne the costs of paying for his own legal defence, and no Justice Centre funds have been expended in respect of this matter.

Mr. Carpay is extremely grateful for the encouragement and for the financial assistance which he has personally received from citizens across Canada who have supported him during the past nine months as he defended himself against these criminal charges.

Those wishing to donate to Mr. Carpay personally, to help pay off $20,000 in outstanding legal bills, are welcome to donate at Give-Send-Go.