Jailed anti-abortion activist loses Supreme Court appeal (Canada)

[Swede]

A peaceful but relentless Toronto anti-abortion crusader who has spent more than nine years over two decades in jail for repeatedly violating a court order to quit picketing outside abortion clinics has lost her appeal before Canada's highest court.


In an eight-to-one decision Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Linda Gibbons could in fact be charged criminally for disobeying a civil order that dates back to 1994.


The 63-year-old grandmother, who is in jail again for disobeying a different court order and who is poised to resume her trial on that charge next week, has long argued she has a right to peaceful protest and that the courts were unfairly pursuing her because of her unpopular views on abortion.


The top court, however, was asked to rule on a far more technical matter — whether it is lawful that she be charged criminally for a civil violation.

http://www.canada.com/news/Jailed+anti+abortion+activist+loses+Supreme+Court+appeal/6751214/story.html

[Mairead]

1. This doesn't feel right

It's hard to understand what substantive difference there is, if any, between civil and criminal court orders.

I also don't know whether she should be allowed to confront people as she wants to do, but ordering her to stay 150 ft or more from the building seems excessive.