Maple Leaf Foods has filed an appeal against the Chicken Farmers of Ontario marketing board, but that’s the only information that has been disclosed.
During a pre-hearing conference with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal, the nature of the appeal was not revealed.
Three lawyers for the marketing board and one for Maple Leaf were in attendance.
What did come out is that both sides agree on the facts, but Maple Leaf objects to a direction issued to it by the board and to any disciplinary followup.
Geoff Spurr, outside attorney for the chicken board, did mention that “criminality” is not in dispute. There were two in-house lawyers for the chicken board.
Marc Huneault, who chaired the hearing, took a pause for a secret session with the lawyers to determine whether an Ontario Farmer publications reporter would be allowed to attend the ZOOM meeting as an observer.
Spurr said he has never known a reporter to be allowed to attend a pre-hearing, but in fact the reporter involved has attended other tribunal pre-hearing ZOOM meetings.
