A Quebec court ruled cigarette makers must not make the CAD 1.13 billion (EUR 791million) initial payment in a CAD 15.6 billion class-action award to former smokers that is under appeal, Canadian Press reported.
Should the three tobacco companies named in the suit successfully appeal the award, recovering their provisional payment could be difficult, the Quebec Court of Appeal reportedly said. The payment was to have been made 26 July, the news agency said.
Imperial Tobacco, Rothmans, Benson & Hedges and JTI-Macdonald have appealed damages awarded by Quebec Superior Court Justice Brian Riordan to nearly 100,000 smokers. The appeal could take several years and land before the Supreme Court of Canada, Canadian Press said.
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