Feds to Appeal Insite Ruling

Daniel Proussalidis
Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson confirms the federal government will appeal a British Columbia court ruling that backs the continuation of Vancouver's supervised heroin injection site.

Facing journalists in the foyer of the House of Commons, Nicholson cited technical questions as the motive for the request for leave to appeal.

"The case that we’ll be presenting before the court is to ask for clarification. I think it's important do that," Nicholson says adding, "It raises a number of jurisdictional questions between the provinces and the federal government."

Accepting that drug injection sites are part of health services, the BC Appeal Court ruled last month that provinces had jurisdiction over them, not the federal government.

While Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has not been vocal on the issue of drug injection sites, her spokesperson has said the minister believes there are better ways to help drug addicts.

Nicholson also repeated that the federal government still holds that view.