ONTARIO: Judge won't release decision on raw milk appeal until July: dairy farmer

13.apr.11
Canadian Press
Alexandra Posadzki

NEWMARKET, Ont. -- Lawyers for the provincial government are arguing that an Ontario judge made critical legal errors when he ruled in favour of raw milk crusader Michael Schmidt.
Last year, justice of the peace Paul Kowarsky threw out 19 charges against Schmidt related to selling and distributing raw milk.
The Health Protection and Promotion Act makes it illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in Canada because it's considered a health hazard. It is, however, legal to drink raw milk.
Kowarsky ruled that Schmidt's method of distribution — a cow-share program he had started for raw milk consumers — made him exempt from the legislation.
The year-long trial found that Schmidt's program, which elicited a raid by the Ministry of Health in 2006, did not violate provincial laws.
The Ontario government is appealing the ruling, but the Durham-based farmer and raw milk activist says Justice Peter Tetley won't release his decision until July.
"He has so much material he has to go through," Schmidt said after the hearing on Wednesday.