A B.C. judge has ruled a Vancouver gay and lesbian bookstore can have advanced costs for its continuing fight against book seizures by Canada Customs.
"Our trial is the actually the only venue for review for Canada Customs," said Little Sister's Book and Art Emporium spokesman Mark Macdonald. "Thousands of books have been stopped going to Canadian importers. It affects Charter rights of every citizen in the country," he said. "It affects the rights of artists to spread their word and works of the imagination to their intended audience."
The book battle has gone on for almost 20 years and cost the store more than $750,000, Macdonald said. The store is now fighting seizures of a series of adult comics entitled The Meatmen and two books edited by Larry Townsend: Of Slaves & Ropes & Lovers and Of Men, Ropes and Remembrance.
In her funding decision, Justice Elizabeth Bennett said advanced costs are ordered in "rare and exceptional circumstances." She said Customs may not be applying the artistic merit test as decided in the obscenity writings case of B.C.'s John Robin Sharpe when detaining books. more--->>>
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