Subject: Fw: Supreme Court Dismisses OFAH Lawsuit On Bear
Hunt (Ontario)
Animal rights issue underlies environmental issue. jf
Subject: [LW:] Supreme Court Dismisses OFAH Lawsuit On Bear
Hunt (Ontario)
IFAW Demands 1 Million Be Returned to Taxpayers After
Supreme Court
Dismisses OFAH Lawsuit On Bear Hunt
Source: CCNMatthews
Mar 28, 2003 10:08
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IFAW Demands $1 Million Be Returned to Taxpayers
After
Supreme Court Dismisses OFAH Lawsuit On Bear Hunt
NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CCNMatthews
FOR: INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
MARCH 28, 2003
IFAW Demands $1 Million Be Returned to Taxpayers
After
Supreme Court Dismisses OFAH Lawsuit On Bear Hunt
OTTAWA, ONTARIO--The International Fund for Animal
Welfare
(IFAW) welcomed yesterday's decision by the Supreme Court of
Canada
to summarily dismiss the Ontario Federation of Anglers and
Hunters
spring bear hunt lawsuit and demands that OFAH repay to
Ontario
taxpayers the $1 million in total costs.
OFAH was assessed court costs in yesterday's
decision;
however, legal experts state that that will only cover a
fraction of
the costs born by Ontario taxpayers during the four years
the case
was dragged from the General Division of Ontario Court, The
Court
of Appeals and finally to the Supreme Court of Canada.
"Our experts estimate that the OFAH has wasted as
much as $1
million of taxpayers' money in this frivolous law suit,"
said IFAW
campaigner Rob Sinclair. "It is high time that they are
forced to
pay back every cent and we should start looking into why
the OFAH
continues to enjoys favoured status as a charity."
In a further blow to OFAH, the Supreme Court ruling
has
solidified the decisions made by Ontario courts that ethical
and
humane practices such as the banning of Ontario's spring
bear hunt
are integral to the making of hunting policy. The earlier
Ontario
Court of Appeal ruling clearly stated that, "Concerns
regarding
animal welfare, including humane and ethical hunting
practices fall
squarely within the policy and objectives of the Fish and
Wildlife
Conservation Act."
Mr. Sinclair added that, "OFAH's legal challenge has
completely backfired on them with both provincial and
federal
courts finding that humane practices lie at the very heart
of the
law. I am disgusted that OFAH, a taxpayer-subsidized
charity, was
permitted to drag this through the court system for four
year and it
is time the Ontario public receives the full $1 million in
restitution."
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
IFAW
Rob Sinclair
Provincial Issues Coordinator
(416) 432-3120
Website: www.ifaw.org
INDUSTRY: ASO
SUBJECT: NWS
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