Federal Court of Appeal Decisions

Date: 20040602

Docket: A-551-03

Citation: 2004 FCA 216

CORAM:        NOËL J.A.

SEXTON J.A.

EVANS J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                  FOURNIER PHARMA INC. and

LABORATOIRES FOURNIER S. A.

Appellants

and

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH and

APOTEX INC.

Respondents

Heard at Toronto, Ontario, on June 2^nd, 2004.

Judgment delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario, on June 2^nd, 2004.

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY:                                                     EVANS J.A.

Date: 20040602

Docket: A-551-03

Citation: 2004 FCA 216

CORAM:        NOËL J.A.

SEXTON J.A.

EVANS J.A.

BETWEEN:

                                                  FOURNIER PHARMA INC. and

LABORATOIRES FOURNIER S. A.

Appellants

and

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH and

APOTEX INC.

Respondents

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT OF THE COURT

(Delivered from the Bench at Toronto, Ontario, on June 2^nd, 2004)

EVANS J.A.

[1]                We are not satisfied that the Prothonotary committed any reviewable error when he exercised his discretion to dismiss the Appellants' motion brought under ss. 6(7) of the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations for the further production of documents.

[2]                Counsel did not persuade us that, while sitting in a case management capacity, the Prothonotary failed to consider factors other than delay (the relevance and importance of the information sought, in particular) or that, in the circumstances of this case, he attached undue weight to the Appellants' delay and none to the relevance of the required information. Whether the Appellants' delay was itself undue is a finding of fact with which we cannot interfere.

[3]                For these reasons, the appeal will be dismissed with costs.

                                                                                                                                   "John M. Evans"          

                                                                                                                                                      J.A.                       

                                                 FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL

                                     Names of Counsel and Solicitors of Record

DOCKET:                                              A-551-03

STYLE OF CAUSE:                               FOURNIER PHARMA INC. and LABORATOIRES FOURNIER S.A.

                                                                                                                                              Appellants

and

THE MINISTER OF HEALTH and APOTEX INC.

                                                                                                                                          Respondents

PLACE OF HEARING:              TORONTO, ONTARIO

DATE OF HEARING:                JUNE 2, 2004

REASONS FOR JUDGMENT

OF THE COURT BY:                             NOËL J.A., SEXTON J.A., EVANS J.A.

DELIVERED FROM THE

BENCH:                                                EVANS J.A.

APPEARANCES BY:

Mr. David M. Reive

FOR THE APPELLANTS

Mr. Nando De Luca

Ms. Natalie Butterfield

FOR THE RESPONDENT (Apotex Inc.)

Mr. Eric Peterson

FOR THE RESPONDENT (The Minister of Health)

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:    

Dimock Stratton Clarizio LLP

Toronto, Ontario

FOR THE APPELLANTS

Goodmans LLP

Toronto, Ontario                                                            

FOR THE RESPONDENT (Apotex Inc.)

Morris Rosenberg

Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Toronto, Ontario

FOR THE RESPONDENT (The Minister of Health)