Brampton Doctor Appeals Ontario Court’s Confirmation of Rebukes for Lockdown Tweets
A Brampton doctor, with financial backing from Elon Musk, intends to challenge an Ontario court’s decision not to remove three cautions placed on her public file by medical regulators due to her criticism of COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccines on social media.
Dr. Gill’s lawyer Lisa Bildy stated that while X has agreed to fund the appeal, permission from the Court of Appeal is necessary after the divisional court’s ruling.
Ms. Bildy mentioned that the focus of the upcoming argument will be on the divisional court’s errors rather than those of the CPSO screening committee.
Dr. Gill, known for questioning COVID measures, argued in court in April that the CPSO’s cautions were punitive and suppressed debate, aiming to have them revoked.
The court’s decision on May 13 mentioned that the three cautions in question were related to Dr. Gill’s tweets on Twitter regarding COVID lockdowns in August 2020.
The court evaluated two specific tweets by Dr. Gill criticizing the lockdowns and questioning the necessity of vaccines at the time.
The court justified the cautions as protective measures for the public while minimally impacting Dr. Gill, stating that the response was proportionate.
Furthermore, the court dismissed Dr. Gill’s argument that the cautions were punitive, clarifying that they were educational and remedial in nature without signaling professional misconduct.
Dr. Gill’s appeal, backed by Elon Musk due to the support of free expression on the X platform, will be assisted by Libertas Law.
Legal battles involving Dr. Gill’s advocacy attracted X’s attention in March, leading to the company offering financial assistance for her legal expenses.
X stated that they will fund Dr. Gill’s campaign to cover her legal fees and judgment amount.
Despite being branded as an “anti-vaxxer,” Dr. Gill has been a supporter of routine childhood vaccines in her professional practice.
Dr. Gill faced numerous investigations and disciplinary actions by the CPSO starting in August 2020 due to her online activism, according to Libertas Law.
The law firm also noted a malicious online campaign against Dr. Gill by other practitioners, media, and the public, resulting in complaints to the CPSO.
The CPSO was not immediately available for comment.