Supreme Court to hear appeal in long-running Rio Tinto IOC-Innu suit
The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to hear an appeal by the government of Newfoundland and Labrador on the issue of the jurisdiction of Quebec courts in respect of the Innu communities of Uashat mak Mani-Utenam and Matimekush-Lac’s C$900-million lawsuit against a unit of global miner Rio Tinto.
The Supreme Court will have to determine whether Quebec courts have jurisdiction to rule on alleged violations of the Innu’s rights on both sides of the Quebec-Labrador border. IOC and the government of Newfoundland and Labrador want to remove the portion of IOC’s operations in Labrador from the Innu lawsuit.
The Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeal had previously found in favour of the Innu on the issue.
"We remain convinced that our ability to obtain redress for violations of our rights by Rio Tinto (IOC) does not stop at provincial boundaries," Uashat mak Mani-Utenam Chief Mike McKenzie said.
"This decision today reinforces our desire and determination to ensure that Rio Tinto (IOC) is forced to face up to its actions and the systematic violation of our rights over the past 70 years," he said after Thursday’s Supreme Court announcement.
The Innu launched the lawsuit in 2013, claiming that the mine was built without their consent and that it had caused environmental damage, displaced members of the community and prevented them from practicing their traditional way of life.
IOC is 59% owned by Rio Tinto and is one of Canada’s largest producers of iron-ore. Rio tried to sell its stake in IOC in 2012, but later withdrew the process. The miner is now considering an initial public offering of its stake on the TSX, according to Bloomberg News.
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Booyco Electronics, South African pioneer of Proximity Detection Systems, offers safety solutions for underground and surface mining, quarrying,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
