Ont. appeal court rejects disabled vets' lawsuit
Updated Wed. Jul. 4 2007 11:58 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff
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Mentally disabled war veterans have been denied the $4.6-billion award they sought from the federal government for the mismanagement of their pensions.
Ontario's Appeal Court rejected the award Wednesday.
Ottawa had appealed a lower court ruling that said roughly 30,000 veterans -- the majority of whom are now deceased -- were owed the money. Some of the funds dated as far back as 1919.
The vets and their dependents launched a class-action lawsuit in 1999. They maintained that Ottawa had failed to meet its responsibilities to the veterans by neglecting to pay interest on their pensions.
In 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the feds, saying the government was not required to pay interest from prior to 1990.
But later the Ontario Superior Court ruled the vets could still sue the government for interest they should have been paid.
The Wednesday reversal of that decision by Ontario's Appeal Court said that the Supreme Court's earlier decision was "final and binding."
"That should have been the end of the matter," the Appeal Court said in its ruling Wednesday. "The entire action ended with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada."
The Appeal Court's decision was unanimous.
There was no immediate response from the plaintiffs, but a news conference is scheduled for later Wednesday.
End of Article
Updated Wed. Jul. 4 2007 11:58 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff
Article Link
Mentally disabled war veterans have been denied the $4.6-billion award they sought from the federal government for the mismanagement of their pensions.
Ontario's Appeal Court rejected the award Wednesday.
Ottawa had appealed a lower court ruling that said roughly 30,000 veterans -- the majority of whom are now deceased -- were owed the money. Some of the funds dated as far back as 1919.
The vets and their dependents launched a class-action lawsuit in 1999. They maintained that Ottawa had failed to meet its responsibilities to the veterans by neglecting to pay interest on their pensions.
In 2003, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of the feds, saying the government was not required to pay interest from prior to 1990.
But later the Ontario Superior Court ruled the vets could still sue the government for interest they should have been paid.
The Wednesday reversal of that decision by Ontario's Appeal Court said that the Supreme Court's earlier decision was "final and binding."
"That should have been the end of the matter," the Appeal Court said in its ruling Wednesday. "The entire action ended with the judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada."
The Appeal Court's decision was unanimous.
There was no immediate response from the plaintiffs, but a news conference is scheduled for later Wednesday.
End of Article