A Wingham restaurant owner was acquitted of two charges for refusing to enforce COVID-19 protocols back in 2021.
Stephen Hill, the owner of Buck & Jo's, had his charges for not checking for proof of vaccination and not providing a safety plan overturned.
His appeal of a third charge for failing to cooperate with Huron Perth Health Unit enforcement officers was denied.
The charges were originally handed down in February 2023. His appeal was heard in Goderich court in April of this year.
In his reasoning, Justice Timothy MacDonald said that it was an error in law to convict Hill on the first two counts, because the order he received from the Health Unit was vague, stating changes needed to be made in one week without providing a specific date.
MacDonald found no grounds to overturn the third count, as the vague order wasn't relevant to Hill's cooperation in the matter.
The judge also reduced Hill's fines from $5,500 to $1,000. He was given six months to pay.