Caryma Sa'd
Canadian lawyer, activist, independent citizen journalist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caryma Fayez Sa'd[2] (born 1989/1990) is a Canadian lawyer. She is known for documenting events at anti-COVID-19-lockdown protests in Canada and other protests.[1]
Caryma Sa'd | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1989 or 1990 (age 36–37)[1] Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |
| Education | University of Ottawa |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Landlord and tenant legal work, cannabis law, documenting protests |
Early life and education
Sa'd was born to an Indian mother and a Palestinian father, and grew up in Mississauga, Ontario.[1] She studied law at the University of Ottawa.[3]
Legal career
After articling in a Bay Street law firm, and working for Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP, Sa'd launched her own practice that specializes in criminal, housing, and cannabis law in 2017.[1][4][5][6] She serves on the advisory board of Legal Line,[7][1] and in 2019 ran unsuccessfully to be a bencher at the Law Society of Ontario, finishing in 28th place with 15.8% of the vote.[8][9][10][11] She ran again in 2023 and came in 38th place with 8.6% of the vote.[12]
In 2019, Sa'd represented tenants displaced by a fatal fire from 235 Gosford Boulevard apartment block in Toronto. She organized an open letter to Toronto Mayor John Tory, requesting him to block reoccupation of the building until air quality issues were addressed.[13][14]
In 2021, Sa'd represented tenants who rented illegal apartments from Toronto landlord Brad J. Lamb, pushing for financial compensation for those evicted,[15][16] and persuaded a judge to give more time to two tenants whose rent was delayed due to hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
In 2023, Sa'd was herself the subject of an order evicting her from her residential premises in Toronto after she failed to show for her own hearing before the Landlord and Tenant Board.[18]
Activism and controversies
Cannabis activism
In 2019, Sa'd described Ontario's lottery system of providing retail cannabis licences as "unfair" because it excluded potential licensees based on luck, not experience or relevant skills.[19] In 2021, she campaigned for the rights of small cannabis businesses, and criticized Facebook and Instagram for blocking their posts despite the legality of selling cannabis in Canada.[20]
Sa'd co-founded 420 Cannabis Court, a pop-up outdoor cannabis-friendly lounge that existed during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns and hosted live comedy acts.[21] From March 2020 to October 2021 she was the executive director of the Canadian branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).[1][22][23][24]
2021-2022 anti-vaccine protests
Throughout 2021, Sa'd documented and published footage of anti-vaccination and COVID-19 anti-lockdown protests in Toronto.[25] In July 2021, she invited anti-lockdown activist Chris Sky to appear in front of an audience at her venue in Toronto's Chinatown for a live interview.[26] A community group, Friends of Chinatown, and other tenants in the mall that the interview was to be held in urged her to cancel the event due to concerns for community safety.[27] Sa'd refused the request but the event was cancelled nevertheless after proper precautions were not taken and community groups, residents and concerned parties showed up to protest Sky and police had to be called to break up a number of scuffles.[28][29]
In 2022, she spent weeks in Ottawa documenting the Canada convoy protest before live tweeting the bail hearings of Pat King and Tamara Lich.[30]
Canadian Anti-Hate Network
In July 2021, Sa'd planned to interview anti-lockdown activist Chris Sky at Chinatown Centre in Toronto. The community group Friends of Chinatown and some tenants urged her to cancel the event, citing concerns about community safety.[31] Sa'd refused the request, but the event was disrupted by protesters and later cancelled after police were called to the scene.[32] The Canadian Anti-Hate Network criticized the planned event, describing Sky as a racist and Holocaust denier and saying that anti-racist and anti-fascist protesters had asked Sa'd to reconsider hosting him.[33]
In 2023, Sa'd filed a Federal Court action against Morgan Yew, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, and John or Jane Doe. The statement of claim alleged false or misleading remarks and sought declarations, damages, and injunctions under the Trademarks Act and Competition Act.[34] On 25 September 2023, Justice Richard Southcott of the Federal Court of Canada struck the statement of claim without leave to amend, finding that it disclosed no reasonable cause of action. The court ordered Sa'd to pay $850 in costs to the defendants.[35]
Sa'd also became the subject of a complaint to the Law Society of Ontario related to her conduct toward Bernie Farber, chair emeritus of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network. In a 2024 complaint-closure letter, the Law Society stated that Sa'd had failed to act with honour and integrity, engaged in harassing and/or discriminatory conduct, and engaged in conduct tending to bring discredit upon the legal profession. The letter said the matter was being closed without referral to discipline because the available regulatory responses were limited and because Sa'd had been advised of the findings.[36]
In November 2024, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network published a further statement saying that it had asked Sa'd to stop interacting with members of the organization and published a letter from its lawyer to Sa'd concerning her conduct toward CAHN members and affiliates.[37]
Other controversies
Sa'd was arrested for trespassing by police on 26 May 2022 while attempting to enter a campaign rally for Doug Ford at John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.[38] Sa'd said police had inaccurately characterized her as a protester attempting to block access to the rally.[39] The charge was withdrawn in November 2022 after prosecutors concluded there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.[40]
In December 2023, Sa'd posted video of several employees of a downtown Toronto Moxies restaurant cheering an anti-war, pro-Palestinian march during the Gaza war. CBC News reported that the employees were later fired, and included the incident in a broader report about people in Canada facing employment or school consequences after expressing pro-Palestinian views.[41] Sa'd defended posting the video, while critics argued that publicizing workers' identities contributed to consequences for people expressing political views.[42]
Family life
Sa'd's father died of COVID-19 in March 2021.[30]