Edmonton: Lianne Laurence, 32, The Interim’s western correspondent and Edmonton’s persistent champion of the unborn, was sentenced to 60 days in jail on February 11, 1992.

Miss Laurence had been arrested on seven previous occasions for picketing and protesting at the local Morgentaler abortuary which opened in September 1991. She has spent a total of 35 days in jail. She has vowed not to pay $500 due on February 20 for her sixth and seventh arrests.

Earlier, an Edmonton spokeswoman for CARAL (the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League) had called for more severe sentences to “uphold the law.”

Ironically, Henry Morgentaler, Canada’s chief abortionist, called the civil law “an ass,” and over a 16-year period broke the law repeatedly to impose his own form of lawlessness upon the country.

For the first 30 days of her sentence, Miss Laurence will be joined by her parents, David and Christine Laurence, both 49. A fourth protester, John Kirk, 46, a member of the Knights of Columbus, received a jail sentence of 30 days.

The four stationed themselves in pairs at the front and rear doors of the abortuary to stop Morgentaler clients from entering.

The harsh sentence was handed out by Mr. Justice David McDonald who, no doubt, felt it was his duty to protect the baby killers.

Today, a number of Canadians, especially judges, think that killing unborn babies is legal and moral while protests against it are illegal and immoral.

Protesters like the Laurence family and friends continue to teach that God’s law must be upheld first.

Postscript

On February 20, Lianne Laurence was sentenced to another 30 days by the same judge David McDonald for refusing to pay her $500 fine. The term is to be served concurrently with the earlier sentence.

Meanwhile, the other three pro-lifers were informed by mail that they will have to serve the full 30 days with no time off for good behaviour. The judge had indicated they would be serving only 21 or 22 days:

Of all the people in jail in British Columbia and Alberta, only pro-lifers have been denied time off for good behaviour on principle, i.e., for being pro-life. The idea for this new form of refined punishment was suggested by feminist BC Justice Beverly McLachlin, today one of the nine justices on the Supreme court of Canada.