Lawsuit Against Copper Mesa and Bill C-300

Earlier today Marcia Ramírez spoke at Huron College (at the University of Western Ontario) about her pending suit against Copper Mesa Mining Corp., a Canadian mining company operating in her home in Ecuador. The plaintiffs claim that activists opposing the company there were threatened and assaulted.

You can read the statement of claim here (pdf), which requests damages against both Copper Mesa and the TSX. Earlier this year the TSX delisted the stock. The defendants are both requesting a dismissal motion.

The case is interesting given that Bill C-300 -An Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for the Activities of Mining, Oil or Gas Corporations in Developing Countries, a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Hon. John McKay, is currently before the House.

A panel at UWO Law last week discussed some of the pros and cons of Bill C-300.

Some commentators suggest the suit could drag out for years.