OCTOBER 2, 2003

Canadian judiciary backs the government

Two Canadian businessmen tried to have the Montreal Grand Prix exempted from the federal anti-tobacco legislation but the judge in the case Justice Jean Crepeau refused to consider the argument that the sponsorship ban would hurt the Montreal economy. The two men had argued that the ban violated the rights of the organizers to run a race. The judge said that the case was a "cry of despair" but was could not be considered by that court.