Costs decision upholds robust GM decision making

Costs decision upholds robust GM decision making

The decision by the High Court at Auckland to award costs in favour of AgResearch following the judicial review of the decision to allow GM cattle experiments is a reinforcement of the regulatory process says LSN Chairman, Dr William Rolleston.

“Groups like MaDGE have to realise that they cannot take a cavalier attitude to the legal process in pursuing their right to oppose GM.

“Now they will have to find $24,000 to meet the costs award against them.

“If they had assessed the strengths of their argument before they even went to the High Court they would not have faced either the cost of being represented, or the cost of failure.

“Our recommendation is that MaDGE members spend some time reviewing the judgements and the failings of the case they are trying to make against the careful and prudent use of gene technology.

“This is clearly a case where the facts have been vital to the outcome and MaDGE was unable to produce a factual case to support its argument. We urge them to reflect on the sort of arguments they may put into the public domain in future.

“The outcome also shows that the existing regulatory system is robust and that sound decisions made by ERMA will find support in the Courts,” concluded Dr Rolleston.

From the LSN news team

Francis Wevers - Executive Director
Christine Ross - Communications Assistant, Wellington

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