KITCHENER -- Lawyers for the attorney general and Trinity Bible Chapel were in court on Thursday to present submissions on what they believe the penalty should be after the church was found in contempt of court.
This is in relation to a service that was held on Jan. 24 after a court injunction ordering no more than 10 people gather at the church. According to court documents, it's estimated that 225 people attended a service that day.
Ontario's attorney general is asking for a fine of $25,000 for the church corporation and fines of $7,500 for each of the six church leaders.
The lawyer for Trinity Bible Chapel is proposing fines of $5,000 for the church and $1,000 for each individual, noting that they are also facing the potential for other penalties related to other charges that are still in the court process.
In submissions, counsel for Attorney General Richard Ogden said there was "considerable" disrespect to the court, noting there has been no apology for what he describes as a considered, deliberate and intentional breach of the court order.
"There is no contrition here. Instead the respondents seek to justify their breach," Ogden told the court.
Lisa Bildy, who is representing Trinity Bible Chapel, agreed that there had been no apology for the decision, but said church leaders were following their consciences when they chose to continue to hold in-person services.
"To apologize for acting in accordance with one's conscience is to undermine one’s conscience," Bildy said.
The judge will release his decision at a later date.
