Trial begins for Canada 'Freedom Convoy' organisers

The trial for the leaders of the so-called Freedom Convoy protest that gridlocked Canada's capital for weeks in 2022 is set to begin on Tuesday.

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber each face counts of mischief and obstructing police.

The two were part of a group that led a convoy of lorries to Ottawa to protest Covid-19 measures and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government.

Experts say the outcome of the trial could reverberate beyond the courts.

The main charge that Ms Lich and Mr Barber will have to defend is that of mischief, defined under Canadian law as the wilful destruction, damaging, obstruction, or interference of property.

Joao Velloso, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, said legally, the case overall is quite ordinary.