Plainly constitutional: The upholding of plain tobacco packaging by the high court of Australia

American Journal of Law and Medicine

Volumn 39, Issue 2-3, 2013, Pages 361-381

  Liberman, Jonathan ^a  

^a McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer Cancer Council Victoria (CCV)   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ADVERTIZING; ARTICLE; AUSTRALIA; HUMAN; LEGAL ASPECT; PACKAGING; PUBLIC HEALTH; SMOKING; TOBACCO INDUSTRY;

ADVERTISING AS TOPIC; AUSTRALIA; HUMANS; PRODUCT PACKAGING; PUBLIC HEALTH; SMOKING; TOBACCO INDUSTRY;

MLCS; MLOWN;

EID: 84880050080     PISSN: 00988588     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1177/009885881303900209     Document Type: Article

References (114)

1. See generally Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 (Cth) s 19 (Austl.) [hereinafter TPP Act];
2. Tobacco Plain Packaging Regulations 2011 (Cth) reg 2.2.1 (Austl.) [hereinafter TPP Regulations].
3. PHYSICIANS FOR SMOKE-FREE CAN., PACKAGING PHONEY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CLAIMS 1, 8(2009), available at http://www.smoke-free.ca/plain-packaging/ documents/2009/packagingphoneyip claims-june2009-a4.pdf. Further reference can be found in the plain packaging timeline included in this report.
4. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Feb. 27, 2005, 2302 U. N. T. S. 166 [hereinafter FCTC].
5. Jonathan Liberman et al., Plain Tobacco Packaging in Australia: The Historical and Social Context, in PUBLIC HEALTH AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES 30-47, 40-42 (Tania Voon et al. eds., 2012).
6. PHYSICIANS FOR SMOKE-FREE CAN., supra note 3, at 21;
7. Eric Crosbie & Stanton A. Glantz, Tobacco Industry Argues Domestic Trademark Laws and International Treaties Preclude Cigarette Health Warning Labels, Despite Consistent Legal Advice that the Argument Is Invalid, 21 TOBACCO CONTROL 1, 6 (2012).
8. Evidence to Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Parliament of Australia, Canberra, 13 September 2011, 4 (British American Tobacco Australia); British American Tobacco Australia Limited, Submission No 35 to Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Inquiry into Trade Marks Amendment (Tobacco Plain Packaging) Bill 2011, 2 September 2011, 24 [7.1];
9. British American Tobacco Australia, Submission to the National Preventative Health Taskforce, BAT A and the Australian Regulatory Landscape: Response to the Preventative Health Taskforce Technical Report 2 'Tobacco Control in Australia: Making Smoking History', Jan. 2009;
10. British American Tobacco Australia, Submission to the Department of Health and Ageing Public Consultation on the Exposure Draft of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, Submission on the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, 6 June 2011;
11. Imperial Tobacco Australia Limited, Submission to the Department of Health and Ageing Public Consultation on the Exposure Draft of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, 6 June 2011, 27 [6];
12. Japan Tobacco International, Submission to the Department of Ageing Public Consultation on the Exposure Draft of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, JTI's Response to the Australian Government's Consultation Paper on Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011 Exposure Draft, 2 June 2011, 2 [1.4];
13. Philip Morris Limited, Submission to the Department of Health and Ageing Public Consultation on the Exposure Draft of the Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011, Commoditising Tobacco Products through Plain Packaging Will Harm Public Health, Violate Treaties, and Does not Meet the Test of "Evidence-Based Policy", June 2011, 26;
14. Press Release, British American Tobacco Australia, BATA Heads to High Court Over Plain Packs (Sept. 5, 2011) available at http://www.bata.com.au/ group/sites/bat-7wykg8.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/D07WZEX6/$FILE/medMD8LE28A. pdf;
15. see also Philip Morris Ltd., Submission to the National Preventative Health Taskforce, Australia: The Healthiest Country by 2020, 22 January 2009, 4 [1.2.1].
16. See Investor-State Arbitration - Tobacco Plain Packaging, AUSTL. GOV'T ATT'Y-GEN.'S DEP'T, http://www.ag.gov. au/Internationalrelations/ InternationalLaw/Pages/Tobaccoplainpackaging.aspx (last visited Mar. 2, 2013);
17. see also Tania Voon, Flexibilities in WTO Law to Support Tobacco Control Regulation, 39 AM. J. L. & MED. 199 (2013).
18. Investor-State Arbitration - Tobacco Plain Packaging, supra note 8.
19. Consultation Document: Proposal to Introduce Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products in New Zealand, MINISTRY OF HEALTH NZ (July 23, 2012), http://www.health.govt.nz/publication/proposalintroduce-plain-packaging-tobacco- products-new-zealand.
20. Consultation Launched on Standardised Tobacco Packaging, DEP'T OF HEALTH (Apr. 16, 2012), http://www.dh.gov. uk/health/2012/04/tobacco-packaging- consultation.
21. Abantika Ghosh, BJD MP Moves Bill on Tobacco Packaging, INDIAN EXPRESS (Nov. 21, 2012), http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bjd-mp-moves-bill-on-tobacco- packaging/1033792.
22. South Africa: Gov't to Follow New Australia Tobacco Laws - Report, AllAfrica (Aug. 16, 2012), http://allafrica.com/stories/201208160174.html.
23. TPP Act, supra note 1, at s 19;
24. Tobacco TPP Regulations, supra note 1, at reg 2.2.1.
25. TPP Act, supra note 1, at ch 2 pt 2 div 1 s 20;
26. TPP Regulations, supra note 1, at regs 2.3.1-.9, 2.4.1-.4 (other allowable marks include origin marks, calibration marks, measurement marks and trade descriptions, bar codes, fire risk statements, locally made product statements, name and address, and consumer contact telephone number).
27. TPP Act, supra note 1, at ch 2 pt 2 div 1 s 18 (1).
28. TPP Regulations, supra note 1, at reg 2.1.1.
29. Tpp Act, supra note 1, at ch 2 pt 2 div 1 s 24.
30. (other than those permitted in TPP Regulations, regs 2.6.1-.3).
31. (other than alphanumeric codes that comply with TPP Regulations 3.1.2, including requirements that they not constitute tobacco advertising and promotion or provide access to tobacco advertising and promotion).
32. TPP Regulations supra note 1, at reg 3.1.1.
33. See Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury, Competition and Consumer (Tobacco) Information Standard 2011, 22 December 2011.
34. TPP Act, supra note 1, at ch 1 pt 1 s 3 (1).
35. TPP Act, supra note 1, at ch 1 pt 1 s 3 (2).
36. Explanatory Memorandum, Tobacco Plain Packaging Bill 2011 (Cth) 1 (Austl.). 10 r I
37. The Explanatory Memorandum, supra note 29, cites a number of relevant research publications.
38. TPP Act, supra note 1, at ch 2 pt 2 div 1 ss 28-29.
39. Explanatory Memorandum, supra note 29, at 15.
40. TPP Act, supra note 1, at ch 2 pt 2 div 1 s 29.
41. Explanatory Memorandum, supra note 29, at 11.
42. AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION s 75 (iii).
43. Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) s 30 (Austl.).
44. AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION s 51 (xxxi).
45. JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, ¶ 167 (Austl.) (Justices Hayne and Bell, describe section 51 (xxxi) as a "legislative power with respect to the acquisition of property which is abstracted from other heads of legislative power").
46. See U. S. CONST, amend. I;
47. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982
48. being Schedule B to the Canada Act, 1982, c.11 (U. K.);
49. S. AFR. CONST., 1996 § 16;
50. Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, European Convention on Human Rights art. 10, Nov. 4, 1950
51. 213 U. N. T. S. 221, 230.
52. Coleman v Power (2004) 220 CLR 1¶¶ 208-209 (Austl.);
53. Lange v Austl. Broad. Corp. (1997) 18 CLR 520, 572 (Austl.).
54. Charier of Human Rights and Responsibilities (2006) (Vic) s 15 (Austl.);
55. Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT) s 16 (Austl.).
56. Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (2006) (Vic) s 6 (Austl.);
57. Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT) s 6 (Austl.). This involved discussion between the parties under the guidance of a single judge of the Court, Justice Gummow, which included four Directions Hearings.
58. See Transcript of Proceedings, Van Nelle Tabak Nederland BV & Anor v Commonwealth (High Court of Australia, Gummow J, 22 December 2011);
59. Transcript of Proceedings, Philip Morris Ltd. v Commonwealth (High Court of Australia, Gummow J, 24 January 2012);
60. Transcript of Proceedings, Philip Morris Ltd. v Commonwealth (High Court of Australia, Gummow J, 23 February 2012);
61. Transcript of Proceedings, Philip Morris Ltd. v Commonwealth (High Court of Australia, Gummow J, 27 February 2012).
62. Transcript of Proceedings, 27 February 2012, supra note, 57. The Australian Government and BAT agreed to questions reserved and agreed facts which were presented to Justice Gummow at the February 27 Directors Hearing. No agreement was reached with either Imperial Tobacco or Philip Morris.
63. The Attorneys-General of Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory intervened in both matters and made submissions supporting the validity of the scheme. See Attorney-General (Qld), Submissions on Behalf of the Attorney-General for the State of Queensland (Intervening), Submission in JT Inf'l SA v Commonwealth, No. S409/2011, 12 April 2012;
64. Attorney-General (ACT), Submissions for the Attorney-General of the Australian Capital Territory Intervener, Submission in JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth, No. S409/2011, 5 April 2011;
65. Attorney-General (NT), Submissions of the Attorney-General for the Northern Territory (Intervening), Submission in JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth, No. S409/2011, 5 April 2011). Cancer Council Australia (CCA) sought leave to make submissions as amicus curiae.
66. See Cancer Council Australia, 'Submissions of Cancer Council Australia', Submission in JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth, No S389/2011, 26 March 2012.
67. Leave was not granted, the Court having "take[n] account of the fact" that "the matters [CCA sought] to canvass are adequately canvassed in the Commonwealth submissions." Transcript of Proceedings, JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (High Court of Australia, French CJ, 17 April 2012).
68. JT Inf'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, ¶ 27 (Austl.).
69. See British American Tobacco Australasia Ltd, Submissions of the Plaintiffs, Submission in JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth, No. S389/2011, 26 March 2012, ¶ 71. In its writ of summons, BAT argued that section 15 "is, in substance and effect, no different from a law that provides that 'This law only applies in the circumstances in which it is valid', which is not a valid exercise of legislative power"
70. British American Tobacco Australasia Ltd., Writ of Summons, Submission in British Tobacco Australasia Ltd. v Commonwealth, No. S389/2011, 1 Dec. 2011, ¶ 11 (b) (Austl.).
71. Tobacco Plain Packaging Case, ¶ 27.
72. Australian Gov't Solicitor, Submission of Defendants, Submission in British American Tobacco Australasia Ltd. v Commonwealth, No. S389/2011, 27 Feb. 2012, at 1-8.
73. The Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria operates as "Cancer Council Victoria." Beyond 2000, CANCER COUNCIL VICTORIA, http://www.cancervic.org. au/about/70-years/history-2000s (last visited Mar. 27, 2013).
74. See Mark Davison, Plain Packaging and the TRIPS Agreement: A Response to Professor Gervais, AUSTL. INTELL. PROP. J. (forthcoming 2013).
75. Australian Gov't Solicitor, supra note 63.
76. It should be noted that the Commonwealth sought to put a large volume of material before the Court on the basis of which it sought to argue that the Court should make a number of findings of "constitutional fact" about the grave harm caused by smoking tobacco products, the promotion of tobacco products by retail packaging, and the impact of health warnings. See Commonwealth of Australia, Submissions of the Commonwealth of Australia, Submission in Tobacco Plain Packaging Case, No. S389/2011, 5 April 2012, ¶¶ 13-42 [hereinafter Commonwealth Submission]. These facts were said not to "form issues between parties to be tried like [other] questions [of fact]", but "simply involve information which the Court should have in order to judge properly of the validity of this or that statute." The tobacco companies opposed the introduction and consideration of this material, and the Court declined to accept it. It proved unnecessary for the resolution of the challenges.
77. JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, ¶ 25 (Austl.).
78. Commonwealth Submission, supra note 67, ¶ 5.
79. Tobacco Plain Packaging Case, ¶ 27.
80. see Commonwealth v Tasmania ("Tasmanian Dam Case") [1983] HCA 21 (Austl.). The arguments also drew on the observation by Justices Deane and Gaudron in Mutual Pools & Staff Pty Ltd v Commonwealth that a person must obtain "at least some identifiable benefit or advantage relating to the ownership or use of property"
81. (citing Mutual Pools & Staff Pty Ltd v Commonwealth [1994] HCA 9 (Austl.)) (emphasis added).
82. Tobacco Plain Packaging Case, ¶ 170.
83. British American Tobacco, Submissions of the Plaintiffs, Submission in British American Tobacco Australasia Ltd. v Commonwealth, No. S389/2011, 26 March 2012, ¶ 46 (b), available at http://www.hcourt.gov. au/assets/cases/s389-2012/BAT-Plf.pdf.
84. JT Int'l SA, Plaintiffs Submissions, Submission in JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth, No. S409/2011, 26 March 2012, ¶ 34, available at http://www.hcourt.gov. au/assets/cases/s409-2011/JT-Plf.pdf.
85. Philip Morris Ltd., Philip Morris Ltd.'s Submissions (Intervening), Submission in British American Tobacco Australasia Ltd. v Commonwealth, No. S389/2011, 26 March 2012, ¶ 5, available at http://www.hcourt.gov. au/assets/cases/s389-2012/BAT-Phillip.pdf. Philip Morris went so far as to argue that the Act "is an Act for the acquisition of control of the [tobacco companies'] Property: that is its purpose"
86. Philip Morris Ltd, Philip Morris Ltd's Reply Submissions, Submission in British American Tobacco Australasia Ltd. v Commonwealth, No S389/2011, 11 April 2011, ¶ 2.
87. JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, ¶248 (Austl.).
88. Tobacco Plain Packaging Case, ¶ 286.
89. (citing British Medical Association v Commonwealth (1949) 78 CLR 201, 270 (Austl.));
90. See Transcript of Proceedings, 17 April 2012, supra note 59, at 61.
91. Transcript of Proceedings, JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (High Court of Australia, 18 April 2012) 5.
92. JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, ¶ 182 (Austl.).
93. Transcript of Proceedings, supra note 121, at 99.
94. Tobacco Plain Packaging Case, ¶ 290.
95. Commonwealth Submission, supra note 67, ¶ 7.
96. JT Int'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, 2 (Austl.).
97. Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011 (Cth) ch 1 s 3 (Austl.).
98. Explanatory Memorandum, supra note 29, at 10. Section 14 of the Act provides for the operation of the Act on alternative or supplementary heads of legislative power (corporations (§ 51 (xx)); international and interstate trade and commerce (§ 51 (i)); and Territories (§ 122)) "[i]n case there is any doubt that all of the provisions are fully supported by the external affairs power." Id. at 11.
99. Explanatory Memorandum, supra note 29, at 2.
100. Explanatory Memorandum, supra note 29, at 14.
101. TPP Act, supra note 1 at ch 1 s 3 (2).
102. WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL, Guidelines for Implementation of Article 11: Packaging and Labelling of Tobacco Products, in GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION 49, 59(2011), available at http://whqlibdoc.who. int/publications/201 l/9789241501316-eng.pdf.
103. WHO FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON TOBACCO CONTROL, Guidelines for Implementation of Article 13: Tobacco Advertising, Promotion and Sponsorship, in GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION 89, 95-96(2011), available at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/201 l/9789241501316-eng.pdf.
104. Commonwealth Submission, supra note 67, ¶ 37.
105. Commonwealth Submission, supra note 67, at ¶ 7.
106. See, e.g., Simon Evans & Jason Bosland, Plain Packaging of Cigarettes and Constitutional Property Rights, in PUBLIC HEALTH AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES: LEGAL ISSUES 48, 48-80 (Tania Voon et al. eds., 2012).
107. In welcoming the High Court's decision, the Australian Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, who had been the Health Minister responsible for the development and introduction of the legislation before becoming Attorney-General, said that that it showed that Big Tobacco can be "taken on and beaten. " Nicola Berkovic, High Court Clears Way for Plain Packaged Cigarettes to Be Sold in Australia, THE AUSTRALIAN (Aug. 15, 2012), http://www.theaustralian. com.au/national-affairs/highcourt-dears-way-for-plain-packaged-cigarettes-to-be- sold-in-australia/story-fn59niix-l 226450705366.
108. JT Inf'l SA v Commonwealth (Tobacco Plain Packaging Case) [2012] HCA 43, ¶¶ 42-44 (Austl.)
109. WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Decision: Punta Del Este Declaration on the Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, COP-4 (5) (Nov. 19, 2010);
110. Benn McGrady, Implications of Ongoing Trade and Investment Disputes Concerning Tobacco: Philip Morris v Uruguay, in PUBLIC HEALTH AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES 173, 192 (Tania Voon et al. eds., 2012);
111. Tania Voon & Andrew D. Mitchell, Implications of International Investment Law for Plain Tobacco Packaging: Lessons from the Hong Kong-Australia BIT, in PUBLIC HEALTH AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES 137, 158 (Tania Voon et al. eds., 2012);
112. Tania Voon & Andrew D. Mitchell, Implications of WTO Law for Plain Packaging of Tobacco Products, in PUBLIC HEALTH AND PLAIN PACKAGING OF CIGARETTES 109, 127 (Tania Voon et al. eds., 2012);
113. Benn McGrady, Revisiting TRIPS and Trademarks: The Case of Tobacco, 9 TRANSNAT'L DISP. MGMT., no. 5, 2012, at 6.
114. See generally WORLD HEALTH ORG., CONFRONTING THE TOBACCO EPIDEMIC IN A NEW ERA OF TRADE AND INVESTMENT LIBERALIZATION (2012), available at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2012/9789241503723-eng.pdf.