2024-06-01 Saturday Peaceful Freedom Rally
11:00am - 12 noon Markham and Lawrence
Nurse Sarah A. Choujounian’s ongoing disciplinary hearing 2024-05-31;
Friday morning was spent debating a motion to introduce peer reviewed studies into evidence on behalf of Ms Choujounian. The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and the tribunal are proceeding with the premise that peer reviewed studies are not evidence. It is not sufficient for Ms Choujounian to simply cite peer reviewed studies that support her position. The only evidence comes from experts who read the peer reviewed studies and testify at the tribunal. In true Soviet style the tribunal has mostly disqualified Ms Choujounian’s experts and has declined to provide written reasons for these decisions. Dr. Bridle has only been qualified as an expert for the Astrazeneca vaccine thus hamstringing Ms Choujounian’s ability to defend herself by introducing peer reviewed studies on the mRNA vaccines.
This is an absolute calamity for professional freedom of expression for nurses in Ontario. Before they make any kind of public statement related to the practice of Nursing that goes against the current orthodoxy, they better line up some peer reviewed literature and experts likely to be acceptable to a CNO tribunal, plus a few backup experts in case the CNO tribunal disqualifies the first one, plus multiple hundred thousand dollars for legal expenses. The CNO tribunal tends to favour MDs as experts, but the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario has tribunals waiting for any MDs that step out of line so Ms. Choujounian has only been able to find academics to support her. Not quite up to Stalin’s standards but too close for comfort. If we want nurses to speak up early about drug side effects and process issues in order to save lives, they have to have the right to be wrong without facing debilitating consequences.
If the Charter 2b “guarantee” of freedom of expression still has any meaning this would be the time to invoke it. As a lay person who has tangled with a number of administrative law process, I’m concerned that while Ms Choujounian’s lawyer Alexander Boissonneau-Lehner does recognize how extra-ordinary the charges against Ms Choujounian are, he doesn’t seem to be making a Charter case to the tribunal. I don’t recall Boissonneau-Lehner citing any Charter cases to support his motion to introduce the studies. He was asking for extraordinary relief where a Charter argument might have been appropriate. I’ve missed large chunks of the proceeding including the tribunal’s decision on his motion and may have missed Charter arguments or Mr Boissonneau-Lehner may be planning to raise Charter arguments in his final summation. He may be trying to put pins in place to try and raise Charter issues on appeal but my lay impression of administrative law is that is best to get your arguments out as early as possible. I hope I’m misreading the situation but the CNO lawyer Megan Shortreed seems to outmatch and outmanoeuvre Mr Boissonneau-Lehner.
Dr Byram Bridle testified in the afternoon and managed to put some helpful evidence for Ms Choujounian into the record including a good discussion of the known and potential longterm safety issues with the COVID vaccines. In contrast to Mr. Boissonneau-Lehner, Dr Bridle speaks very well and makes his points very clearly and concisely and comes across as very knowledgeable, even after being largely hobbled by the CNO tribunal. The tribunal does a real disservice to the public by taking the recordings down from YouTube.
The College of Nurses of Ontario discipline hearing for Sarah A. Choujounian continues Friday June 7th at 9:30am. with the expected cross exam of Dr Byram Bridle. Contact HearingsAdministrationGroup@cnomail.org to access the video conference.
Rally at Markham and Lawrence this Saturday from 11:00am - 12 noon
Please bring a freedom related sign, flag, flyers etc. if you have them.
Healthy Planet has moved across Lawrence into Cedarbrae Mall. I will be experimenting with locations around Cedarbrae Mall, but expect to end up directly outside Healthy Planet towards noon.