TOBACCO CONTROL LAWS

Legislative Consultation with Constitutional Division of the Supreme Court

This decision is an official consultation by ten legislators to the Constitutional Court regarding the constitutionality of Costa Rican tobacco control legislation.  After the legislature approved the legislation but before the President signed the law, legislators officially consulted the Constitutional Court asking them to assess if the procedure followed by the leadership of the Legislative Assembly was appropriate and whether the legislation met constitutional standards.  The petitioners claim that the Legislative Assembly members used a nonexistent regulatory and Constitutional procedure.  Additionally, the petitioners argue that the restrictions regarding advertising, promotion and sponsorship; price and tax measures; smoke free measures; contents and disclosure measures; illicit trade; and other such measures are disproportionate and unreasonable.  The Court declared the law constitutional and explained that the country has the power to place effective restrictions on tobacco, all with the goal of protecting public health.

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Legislative Consultation with Constitutional Division of the Supreme Court, No. 2012-003918, Constitutional Division of the Supreme Court (2012)

  • Costa Rica
  • Mar 20, 2012
  • Constitutional Division of the Supreme Court

Parties

Plaintiff

Defendant

Legislation Cited

Related Documents

Decision in Spanish

Type of Litigation

Challenge to Government Policies Relating to Tobacco Control/Public Health
Tobacco companies or front groups may challenge any legislative or regulatory measure that affects their business interests. Unlike public interest litigation, these cases seek to weaken health measures. These cases frequently involve the industry proceeding against the government. For example, a group of restaurant owners challenging a smoke free law as unconstitutional.

Tobacco Control Topics

Price and Tax Measures
Tax or price measures, including tax- and duty-free regulation. (See FCTC Art. 6)
Smoke Free Measures
Measures to reduce or eliminate exposure to tobacco smoke. (See FCTC Art. 8)
Contents and Disclosures Measures
Measures for testing, measuring, regulating, or disclosing the contents and emissions of tobacco products. (See FCTC Arts. 9 and 10)
Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship
Measures restricting any form of direct or indirect tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship. (See FCTC Art. 13)
Illicit Trade
Measures relating to illicit trade, including smuggling, illicit manufacturing and counterfeiting. (See FCTC Art. 15)

Substantive Issues

Right to Commerce
A violation of the right to carry on trade, business, or profession of a person’s choice. This right may also be called the right to free enterprise or economic freedom. The industry may argue that a business should be able to conduct its business without government regulation, including whether or not to be smoke free.
Right to Equal Protection
A violation of the right to equal protection under the law, or another form of discrimination. The industry may claim that regulations discriminate against tobacco companies or tobacco products. Smokers may claim that addiction is a health condition, so regulations discriminate against them based on their health condition. Facilities subject to smoke free laws may claim that smoke free (SF) exceptions (e.g., hotel rooms, mental hospitals, etc.) unfairly discriminate against SF businesses because the law should apply to all locations equally.
Right to Freedom of Expression
A violation of the right to expression, free speech or similar right to express oneself without limitation or censorship. The industry may claim that a regulation infringes on their right to communicate with customers and the public. Similarly, they may claim that mandated warnings infringe on their freedom to communicate as they desire.
Right to Access to Information
A violation of the public’s right to information. The tobacco industry may claim that advertising, promotion or sponsorship, or packaging regulations limit the industry’s ability to communicate information to their customers and therefore infringes on the customer’s right to receive information, and to distinguish one product from another. Alternatively, public health advocates may claim that tobacco industry misinformation violates their right to accurate information or that government must be transparent in its dealings with the tobacco industry.
Right to Procedural Due Process
A violation of the right to procedural fairness. For example, a party may claim that a government agency did not consult with public or stakeholders when issuing regulations.
Right to Property
A violation of property rights, sometimes in the form of an expropriation or a taking by the government. The tobacco industry may argue that regulations amount to a taking of property rights because they prevent the use of intellectual property such as trademarks.
Excessive Delegation of Authority to the Executive
The legislative branch, through its tobacco control legislation, may have granted too much authority to the executive branch to implement measures administratively.
Legal Product
Tobacco is a legal product and the tobacco industry is a legal industry.
Procedural Defect
The court might consider procedural matters without touching the merits of the case. These might include: improper joinder, when third parties, such as Health NGOs or government officials, seek to become parties to the suit; lack of standing, where a plaintiff fails to meet the minimum requirements to bring suit; lack of personal jurisdiction, where the court does not have jurisdiction to rule over the defendant; or lack of subject matter jurisdiction, where the court does not have jurisdiction over the issue at suit.
Sufficiency of Scientific Evidence
A discussion on whether current scientific evidence is sufficient to justify the regulatory measures.

Type of Tobacco Product

None

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