DULF Legal Aid Fund Update – 10/27/26
THE APPEAL
The machinery turns again. The Crown has appealed our acquittal.
The appeal concerns questions of law. The Crown argues that the trial judge erred in finding that Section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act infringed our Charter rights, that these infringements could not be justified under Section 1, and that the provision should have been declared of no force or effect under Section 52(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Crown seeks to have convictions entered against us and the matter returned to the trial court for sentencing.
We did not undertake this work because the law had sanctioned it. We undertook it because people were dying, and the sanctioned alternatives were inadequate to the emergency before us.
The Compassion Club was not an abstraction. It was an attempt to wrest a small territory from the dominion of a poisoned supply: to replace the violence of the illicit market with community-regulated substances, fair prices, and the collective intelligence of those forced to navigate it. It was an attempt to make survival possible on different terms.
For this, we have already endured years of legal proceedings. Now the struggle enters another stage, bringing further uncertainty, labour, and expense. An acquittal has not ended the fight. The Crown has chosen to continue it.
Our fundraiser remains essential. Legal defence is expensive, and a victory in court does not abolish the material conditions that made this struggle necessary. Every contribution helps us defend the decision we won, and the principle beneath it: that people who use drugs are entitled to organise their own survival.
We are tired, certainly. We have looked long enough into the face of the state to recognise its features. We know that a favourable judgment does not compel the machinery to stop turning.
But fatigue is not surrender. And an appeal is not a conviction.
The Crown has chosen to continue this fight. So shall we.
Donate. Share. Stand with DULF.
$780,375.52 / $900,000 raised.
The law may yet attempt to close the door. We intend to remain on the threshold.
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How to stand with us as we face continue to face the court:
1. Stay Engaged
We are providing biweekly updates on our website, and to our mailing list. These updates will track our fundraising progress and any case developments.
2. Donate Directly Now
A. Zeffy Donations: Donate easily via Zeffy to continue supporting DULF’s fight: https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/dulf-legal-aid-ii-the-final-push
B. E-Transfers and PayPal: Send funds to: druguserliberationfront@gmail.com
C. Tax Free Donations (Over $1000): Via Mom’s Stop the Harm at Canada Helps: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/126579 (Select DULF under “fund” – your donation must be over $1000)
3. Join Our Legal Sustainer Donor Program
Become a dedicated partner in the fight for harm reduction and legal justice. By contributing regularly through DULF’s Sustainer Donor Program, you help fund critical legal costs, policy reform advocacy, and support for those most impacted by discriminatory drug policies.
Learn more and join here: Open Collective: DULF
4. Spread the Word
Share our updates and help us rally support for harm reduction and safer supply.
