The man who challenged restrictions on transporting alcohol across provincial borders and took his legal fight all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada says he鈥檚 鈥渘ot really鈥� surprised by the top court鈥檚 decision to uphold the current law.
Gerard Comeau, a New Brunswick man who was fined $240 plus administrative fees in 2012 for driving across the border to Quebec to buy several cases of beer and some liquor, said he will now have to live with the unpopular cross-border booze rules.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 go any higher than the Supreme Court,鈥� he told 麻豆影视 Channel on Thursday, adding that he won鈥檛 be trying to lobby for changes to the law in any other way.
In a , the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of the New Brunswick law that prohibits people from bringing in alcohol from other provinces.
The court鈥檚 decision effectively preserves the current trade rules within Canada, saying provinces have the power to enact laws that restrict commerce if there is another overriding purpose. In Comeau鈥檚 case, that purpose was the desire to control the supply of alcohol within New Brunswick, the court said.
Comeau said Thursday that even though he wasn鈥檛 surprised or necessarily disappointed by the Supreme Court鈥檚 decision, he does not agree with it.
鈥淎ccording to the Constitution, you should be allowed to go shop wherever you want, in unlimited quantity and take it home,鈥� he said.
Comeau said many supporters of his 鈥渇ree the beer鈥� fight have told him he should win the case because it鈥檚 鈥渃ommon sense,鈥� but he believes the decision goes against the Constitution.
Ian Blue, one of the lawyers who represented Comeau, said Thursday his team is 鈥渧ery disappointed鈥� by the Supreme Court ruling.
鈥淭he court obviously made a political judgment to maintain the status quo in Canada,鈥� Blue told 麻豆影视 Channel.
Despite the legal defeat, Comeau said he never ended up having to pay the fine for breaking the rules in 2012. But he won鈥檛 be doing any more cross-border booze shopping.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 illegal, it鈥檚 illegal,鈥� he said.
With files from The Canadian Press
