British Columbia does not have to give a tobacco company access to detailed provincial health databases to help it mount a defence in a multibillion-dollar damages trial, the Supreme Court of Canada says in a ruling that will have a countrywide ripple effect.
In a unanimous decision Friday, the high court said the province cannot legally allow Philip Morris International to see raw data from the information banks.
The ruling is the latest development in a 17-year-old effort by B.C. to recoup smoking-related health-care expenditures from tobacco companies.
It helps clarify a key legal point of national interest, as all 10 provinces have filed suits seeking a total of more than $120 billion in damages from tobacco firms.
No comments:
Post a Comment