B.C. judge sentences “freeman” to 1 year in jail for contempt of court

A provincial court judge in Prince Rupert, B.C., has sentenced a 46-year-old man to a year in jail for contempt of court, ruling he tried to circumvent the justice system with “pseudo-legal” and “stupid” arguments.

Judge David Paterson sentenced Cameron Hardy, in part to deter others from subjecting the court to the theory known as “organized pseudo-legal commercial arguments.”

Paterson’s ruling details how Hardy, who was facing a charge of resisting or obstructing a peace officer in 2021, considers himself a “freeman,” meaning he won’t accept that courts have jurisdiction over him and falsely believes Canadian law doesn’t apply to him.

“The courts of British Columbia are legitimate, or they are not. There is no middle ground. There are no shades of grey,” Paterson’s ruling says.

“Unfortunately for Hardy, the courts of British Columbia, including the provincial court of British Columbia, are legitimate.”

Hardy, who represented himself in court, was charged with “contempt in the face of the court” for refusing to recognize the court’s legitimacy or to follow the court’s orders and take part in the trial process.

Misinformation in the courtroom

In his reasons for sentence on the contempt charge, Paterson found Hardy displayed “flagrant disregard” for the court’s directions and orders.

Paterson found Hardy’s legal arguments could be harmful to the justice system by turning routine matters into time-consuming exercises, and “his arguments were not merely legally false but often just plain stupid.”

“Hardy’s defence was vexatious and frivolous. He had no hope of success; thus, logically, his only purpose was to frustrate the court and waste government resources.”

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/contempt-jail-prince-rupert-1.6819182

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