Overview
- The Federal Court of Appeal unanimously overturned a prior ruling that had deemed the plastics listing unreasonable and unconstitutional.
- The three-judge panel said the lower-court decision was predicated on an incorrect premise and did not intrude on provincial or territorial jurisdiction.
- The court declared there is no constitutional issue and found the listing reasonable because plastics have the potential to be toxic to humans and the broader environment.
- The ruling restores the federal legal foundation used to regulate and restrict single-use plastic items across Canada.
- The outcome is being described as a win for the Liberal government and a setback for Canada's plastics industry, which led the challenge.