A Montreal city judge threw out the fines given to protesters almost two years ago, questioning the police ticketing method and disputing the wording of the city’s controversial anti-protest bylaw.

The judgment came down Monday in the case of three people fined at the demonstration of March 2013. The tickets, at $638 each, were for violating article 2.1 of the controversial municipal bylaw P-6.

Municipal bylaw P-6, enacted during the 2012 student protests, requires demonstrators to provide police with an itinerary and route of a protest before it begins.

On March 22, 2013, police officers arrested over 200 people at a protest. The demonstrators were commemorating a massive march held in Montreal a year earlier, in what some dubbed the start of the “Maple Spring” movement. Nearly 300 had gathered in the streets of downtown Montreal. Within 15 minutes, nearly 80 per cent were corralled and ticketed in a kettling process when police contained the large crowd.

In Monday’s ruling, Judge Randall Richmond concluded the tickets were invalid. Richmond said the police officers were not personally present when they signed and issued the tickets.

The three defendants, Eric Thibeault, Patrick René and a third unnamed person, asked the judge to dismiss their fines because of a “total lack of evidence.” They also said the specific article in the bylaw does not oblige them to disperse, and it’s not the right article cited for police to fine people in an illegal protest.

The police officers who testified in court said their superiors had told them to give tickets in this manner to save on time and the number of officers needed to appear in court.

Judge Richmond sided with the defendants and said “regardless of the way the police superiors had told them to their work for logistical reasons […] this does not remove the seriousness of their acts.” The judge explained that a ticket is a statement made under oath and serves as an important document in court.

Richmond concluded that the Montreal police trivialized the way tickets should be issued. He also described it as “astounding” because police risked condemning innocent people.

Catherine Maurice, a spokesperson for the city of Montreal, told CTV Montreal that they will not be commenting until their legal team has finished analyzing the judgment.

Montreal police said they are also looking at the ruling and may appeal.

The Human Rights League said they see this judgment as a victory for the right to protest.

Here is Judge Richmond's ruling issued Monday, Feb. 9, 2015:

Judge throws out fines from protestors by CTV_Montreal