Public interest litigation threatened by costs order, court told

Biowatch was appealing against a court order that it should pay genetically modified crops company Monsanto SA’s legal costs. A Business Day report says the costs order arose out of Biowatch Trust’s successful application to the Pretoria High Court for the Minister of Agriculture and the Registrar of General Resources to provide information which would shed light on the basis for decisions about permitting genetically modified crops in SA. Monsanto SA, a producer of genetically modified food, joined the court proceedings to oppose the application by Biowatch in 2003. The case was heard in 2004. Full Business Day report

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