Wednesday, February 18, 2026
ADVT 
National

Supreme Court certifies B.C.'s class-action lawsuit against opioid providers

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 22 Jan, 2025 04:33 PM
  • Supreme Court certifies B.C.'s class-action lawsuit against opioid providers

British Columbia's attorney general says the Supreme Court of Canada has certified the province's class-action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Niki Sharma says B.C. can now proceed as a representative plaintiff on behalf of other Canadian governments with the litigation aimed at recovering the costs of treating opioid-related diseases allegedly caused by the industry's conduct.

She says in a statement the top court decision reaffirms B.C.'s commitment to holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, which was declared a public health emergency in the province in April 2016.

The court had already affirmed the constitutionality of a law allowing B.C. to pursue a class-action lawsuit on behalf of other Canadian governments last November.

That's after several opioid companies argued in B.C. Supreme Court that the province was overstepping its authority under the constitution.

But a majority of the top court found that B.C.'s law respects the legislative authority of other Canadian governments, which can choose to opt out of the proceeding, and the decision noted that nearly every province and territory as well as the federal government intended to take part in the class-action.

Sharma says the class-action's certification marks a "significant milestone" in the proceedings that date back to 2018, when the province first launched the lawsuit.

"Our goal was clear: to recover the health-care costs of treating opioid-related harms and to hold manufacturers and distributors accountable for their role in allegedly using deceptive marketing practices to drive sales, contributing to addiction and overdose rates in the country," she says.

The most recent data from the B.C. Coroners Service released in December says in the first 10 months of last year there were 1,925 overdose deaths, marking a nine per cent decrease from the same time period in 2023.

Canadian government statistics say there were more than 49,000 opioid toxicity deaths reported between January 2016 and June 2024 across the country. 

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Rustad says no plan for user-pays health as B.C. voters break advance polling record

Rustad says no plan for user-pays health as B.C. voters break advance polling record
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says he has no plan for a user-pays health-care system in British Columbia, after the rival NDP released a recording of him calling the Canada Health Act "silly" for not allowing such a system. NDP Leader David Eby accused Rustad of planning "American style" user pays, saying he would let people "buy their way to the front of the line."

Rustad says no plan for user-pays health as B.C. voters break advance polling record

New area code for BC in 2025

New area code for BC in 2025
British Columbia is getting a new phone area code next year.  The 2-5-7 area code will be introduced gradually starting May 24th.

New area code for BC in 2025

Vancouver Island Police search for missing woman

Vancouver Island Police search for missing woman
Police on Vancouver Island are appealing to the public for information that could help them find a woman reported missing more than two years ago. R-C-M-P say they believe Amber Manthorne's disappearance in July 2022 was the result of foul play, and it's unlikely the 40-year-old will be found alive.

Vancouver Island Police search for missing woman

Leaders converge on Vancouver Island as B.C. voters break advance polling record

Leaders converge on Vancouver Island as B.C. voters break advance polling record
Leaders of British Columbia's main political parties have converged on Vancouver Island in the final stage of campaigning before the provincial election on Saturday, with record numbers of voters already casting their ballots in advance polling. Elections BC says more than 181,000 people voted on Tuesday, breaking a record set on the first day of voting last week.

Leaders converge on Vancouver Island as B.C. voters break advance polling record

Campaign volunteers in Richmond targeted with racist insults

Campaign volunteers in Richmond targeted with racist insults
The incident on Sunday is captured on video, showing a man in a grey suit berating supporters of Richmond Centre candidate Wendy Yuan while they were waving signs at an intersection. The man is seen swearing at the group and telling them to "take down" the Chinese Communist Party instead of "coming over here on your … little boats."

Campaign volunteers in Richmond targeted with racist insults

Border agency recovered nearly 2,000 stolen vehicles this year: transport minister

Border agency recovered nearly 2,000 stolen vehicles this year: transport minister
Canada's border guards have recovered more stolen vehicles at railyards and ports so far this year than in all of 2023.  Transport Minister Anita Anand said the Canada Border Services Agency has recovered 1,945 stolen vehicles, with the majority found in Quebec.

Border agency recovered nearly 2,000 stolen vehicles this year: transport minister