MONTREAL — The Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health said Monday that smokers who won a recent court victory are being denied justice after an Ontario judge granted cigarette maker JTI-Macdonald Corp. protection from its creditors last week.
The Ontario Superior Court decision suspends legal proceedings against all three companies until April 5, even though only JTI-Macdonald sought protection from creditors. Benson & Hedges and Imperial Tobacco made no such request. Philippe Trudel, one of the lawyers representing tobacco victims in the class action, called the Ontario court’s decision to suspend proceedings against all three companies “unusual.” Mario Bujold, spokesman for the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health, said the Ontario court’s ruling can be extended beyond April 5 and he worries victims will never see any money.
In a statement released Friday, JTI-Macdonald said it needed to seek protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in order to “protect 500 Canadian jobs and carry on its business operations with minimal disruption.
everyone is school is educated about the damaging affects of smoking and on the packages of cigarettes is a warning that they cause cancer so how can a lawsuit against tobacco companies be realized? if people want to harm themselves knowingly and deliberately.. their fault.
littleshasta SNCTobacco..?..
Sneaky deals continue in Quebec. It’s almost like the people living there think they’re above the law. I wonder what corrupt Prime Minister gave them that idea?