The appeal by cigarette makers of the CAD 15 billion (EUR 10.5 bln) award in a class-action suit brought by Quebec smokers began 21 Nov before the Quebec Court of Appeal, the Montreal Gazette said.

An unusually long five days of testimony have been allotted to hear the appeal by Imperial Tobacco Canada, JTI-Macdonald and Rothman, Benson Hedges, the newspaper said. Proceedings began with an attorney for the three tobacco companies accusing Superior Court Judge Brian Riordan of making his own law in the trial that ended with the damages award, the Gazette said.