Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => Fishing-related Issues & News => Topic started by: chris gadsden on March 20, 2015, 07:38:54 PM
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"The clear intent is to silence and intimidate Canadian conservation and environmental non-profits with the threat of litigation."
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sandy-garossino/bc-societies-act-christy-clark_b_5973568.html
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Section 99 allows any person (including corporations) to take any registered society to court that they believe is acting contrary to the public interest
To be fair, couldn't this go both ways though? Theoretically, couldn't env. groups take these big oil companies to court for acting against public interests?
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One would think so but do they have the funds to do so?
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One would think so but do they have the funds to do so?
I would doubt it, sadly. When any oil company has the money to spend $750,000 to drill a 5400 meter deep hole in the ground where they know there is no oil or gas to just keep up their mineral rights to said land is ludicrous. Holes like this can take up to 3-4 weeks.
That's one hole, amongst a dozen oil companies drilling with several dozen Rigs at any given time. The amount of money spent is mind boggling.
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To be fair, couldn't this go both ways though? Theoretically, couldn't env. groups take these big oil companies to court for acting against public interests?
I don't think so, not the way the proposed amendment is worded. The issue with these sort of changes is why is it needed? What's not covered that isn't already covered under existing restrictions on free speech such as current slander and libel laws? As to what the 'Public Interest' is, that'll be determined by Judges and there's amply evidence they don't necessarily come into line with the sort of legal 'reforms' some of our Provincial and Federal right wing politicians have put into legislation.