Gowling WLG represents the Canadian Public Health Association in Saskatchewan climate change reference case

3 minute read
19 December 2018

Last week, the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), represented by environmental lawyers from Gowling WLG, successfully moved for intervenor status in the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal reference case examining the constitutionality of the federal government's Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act - one of the most important environmental and public health legal issues facing Canadians today.



As outlined in a press release issued last month, CPHA is intervening in support of the federal government's authority to enact the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which provides for a charge on fossil fuels and an output-based pricing system for industrial facilities. Saskatchewan and Ontario have each filed references to challenge the constitutionality of the Act, and New Brunswick is set to bring its own challenge shortly. For additional details, see our earlier articles on the end of cap and trade in Ontario, and the implementation of carbon pricing through the federal backstop.

CPHA is a national non-governmental organization that has represented the interests of public health in Canada for more than 100 years. CPHA has been involved in several important national public health issues, including the threats posed to Canadian public health by greenhouse gas emissions.

CPHA plans to seek leave to intervene in the Ontario government's climate change reference before the Ontario Court of Appeal later this month.

Jennifer King and Michael Finley, from Gowling WLG's Environmental Law Group, are leading this file.

Gowling WLG continues to monitor these important court challenges in its role as intervenor counsel. The hearing of the reference is scheduled at the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal on February 13 and 14, 2019. The Ontario reference is scheduled to be heard from April 15 to 18, 2019. For more information, please contact any member of our team.


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