by Jim Byers
Last updated: 7:45 PM ET, Thu June 3, 2021
A legal challenge to the Canadian government's quarantine hotel program has wrapped up in Toronto.
A federal court judge this week heard three days of arguments in the hearing, which was initiated by the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms.
"The applicants maintain, and are even more certain after three days of hearing, that the forced quarantine in federal facilities of returning Canadians is arbitrary, irrational, of no demonstrable public benefit, and therefore not justifiable," Justice Centre litigator Jay Cameron said in an email. "We hope for a speedy decision and, I suspect, so does the nation."
There are 14 applicants in four similar but separate challenges arguing the rules violate their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, The National Post reports. The cases were heard together by Paul Crampton, Chief Justice of the Federal Court.
There was no indication when a decision might be made.
The federal government in February of this year announced that all travellers coming into Canada by air would have to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival and then book an officially-approved quarantine hotel for three days while they wait for test results. The rooms can cost more than $2,000.
The rules, however, don't apply to people crossing into Canada by land. Many air travellers coming to Canada opted to fly into U.S. airports and cross the border in a car, or even on foot, to avoid the quarantine hotel requirement.
A Canadian government science panel last week said the program should be abolished. Health Minister Patty Hajdu last week said Canadians can expect changes to the program. But the Trudeau government earlier this week said it's increasing the fines from $3,000 to $5,000 for people who avoid the quarantine hotel program and skip out on mandatory arrival testing.
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