A back-and-forth legal dispute over the rights of people to move from province to province during the pandemic has wound its way through the highest court in the land with a ruling that the Chief Medical Officer of Newfoundland and Labrador was within her right to bar entry.

Kimberley Taylor of Nova Scotia wanted to go to her mother’s funeral in St. John’s six years ago but was denied entry because of public health restrictions imposed due to COVID-19. However, a request for reconsideration was approved a few days later and she was granted entry.

Taylor went ahead and challenged the restrictions which were imposed after a Public Health Emergency was declared, resulting in a series of rulings along the way seen as partial victories for each side.

The case ended up in the Supreme Court of Canada where the majority ruled that the travel restrictions violated mobility rights, but were justified under the circumstances.

The court noted that governments were confronted with rising case numbers, loss of life, and limited scientific certainty.