A Canada-U.S. meat dispute takes a free-speech twist

WASHINGTON – Canadian livestock producers are in a U.S. court, arguing for their free-speech rights under the First Amendment.

The case centres on whether the country-of-origin labelling rules that have harmed the meat industry are a violation of one of the most sacrosanct provisions of the American Constitution.

The Canadian companies and their U.S. and Mexican allies are arguing that they’re being compelled, by the American government, to divulge information for illegitimate reasons.

They say that violates their free-speech rights.

Numerous parties have standing in the case, which is being argued on the anti-labelling side by a lawyer for the American Meat Institute. Opposing arguments are being made by U.S. government lawyers.

Attorneys for both sides are being grilled today by 11 judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington.