Canada: Supreme Court allows wiretaps in gas price-fixing suit

Canada’s Supreme Court has reportedly ruled that wiretapping recordings made by the Competition Bureau of Canada as part of its investigation into oil price-fixing can be used in a civil suit against gas stations.

Reports say the justices ruled 6-1 that the recordings can be used in the class action suit accusing gas station owners Imperial Oil and Alimentation Couche-Tard of fixing oil prices. The suit was filed following the Bureau’s own investigation.

The competition authority secretly recorded calls between gas stations allegedly agreeing between themselves to raise gas prices. The recordings were made beginning in 2004.

Reports say the gas stations had filed a motion to bar the recordings from being entered into evidence n the class action on grounds that they violate the companies’ right to privacy. The Supreme Court disagreed, but said that the courts can use discretion to protect the identities of people in the recordings not involved in the lawsuit.

Full content: Huffington Post

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