Justice Catherine Murray is set to rule on a constitutional challenge brought by Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx after their drug-trafficking convictions were stayed to hear arguments under the Charter.
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B.C. Supreme Court Justice Catherine Murray is expected to rule on Sept. 29, 2026 on a constitutional challenge from harm-reduction activists Jeremy Kalicum and Eris Nyx following their drug-trafficking convictions.
Kalicum and Nyx founded the Drug User Liberation Front, also known as a compassion club, and were found guilty last year after Vancouver police raided the club in 2023. Murray put the convictions on hold to hear the constitutional arguments.
In court, their lawyers argued that compelling drug users to rely on unregulated street drugs violates the Canadian Charter of Rights. Murray said in her ruling that the activists’ intentions were good as they tried to save lives, but that buying pure drugs on the dark web and selling them to members was not covered by an exemption allowing for drug storage and testing.
Murray also characterized Nyx and Kalicum as “agitators” who wanted to make change, while noting they were aware they faced the risk of a trafficking prosecution. The defence argued that closing the club infringed the rights of people disabled by addiction and raised their risk of death from an unregulated, illicit drug supply.
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