Photo courtesy CBC.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled against a cigarette maker in a case involving health data privacy in B.C. which could have an impact nationwide.
The high court says B.C. does not have to provide detailed provincial health databases to Philip Morris International, which the company argues it needs to defend itself in court.
The province has been in a legal fight with tobacco companies to recoup health-care costs in the treatment of smoking-related illnesses.
B.C. had offered companies access of aggregate data from health databases, but not individual files whose privacy the province says could be compromised, even if the information is released anonymously.
Philip Morris challenged that stance successfully in the B.C. Supreme Court, which led to the province taking its case to the Supreme Court of Canada.
The unanimous decision by the Supreme Court is the latest chapter in the 17-year-old legal battle and clears a hurdle in B.C.’s efforts to sue tobacco firms over health-care costs.
All 10 provinces have filed legal suits for damages from cigarette companies of more than $120 billion.
With files from the CBC and the Canadian Press.
CHEK News
