A private medical clinic that launched an unsuccessful constitutional challenge of Canada91裸聊视频檚 public health care system must pay the B.C. government91裸聊视频檚 legal costs, after what a judge calls a 91裸聊视频済ruelling marathon91裸聊视频� of a case.

Cambie Surgeries Corp. launched a lawsuit back in 2009, claiming B.C.91裸聊视频檚 Medicare Protection Act was unconstitutionally preventing people from getting private health care when the public system was unable to provide it.

The B.C. Supreme Court, the B.C. Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada all shot down the private surgery clinic91裸聊视频檚 case, but the issue of trial costs was left in the air.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Lynn Whately ruled Monday that Cambie Surgeries should pay the Attorney General of British Columbia91裸聊视频檚 trial costs, calling the long-running litigation 91裸聊视频減rodigiously lengthy and complex.91裸聊视频�

The ruling says the lawsuit by Cambie Surgeries was being funded by the Canadian Constitution Foundation.

The ruling doesn91裸聊视频檛 specify the province91裸聊视频檚 costs, but the foundation said last year the B.C. government was seeking $1.7 million from the charitable foundation and 91裸聊视频渋ts partners.91裸聊视频�

The court ruling says the government argued that Cambie Surgeries was a 91裸聊视频渨ell-resourced91裸聊视频� party that had a financial stake in the outcome of the case, rather than a public-interest litigant going to bat for patients let down by the public health care system.

It says the B.C. government claimed the private clinic was making 91裸聊视频渢ens of millions91裸聊视频� in profit by violating the public health care protection law.

The judge found that Cambie Surgeries91裸聊视频� financial interest in winning the case 91裸聊视频渓ikely preclude them from being considered true public interest litigants.91裸聊视频�

Whately found that the case 91裸聊视频渋nvolved matters of great importance to all British Columbians, not only in a legal sense, but in terms of the practical, day-to-day impact on access to health care, the funding of health care services, and the principles that uphold our public health care system.91裸聊视频�

The private clinic said the case involved 91裸聊视频渘ovel91裸聊视频� legal issues and assessing the 91裸聊视频済overnment91裸聊视频檚 constitutional obligations to provide public health care within a reasonable time, and the 91裸聊视频榩ractical consequences91裸聊视频� that must be associated to the failure to do so.91裸聊视频�

Both sides tried to blame one another for the case dragging on, with the Attorney General of B.C. citing 91裸聊视频渆gregious91裸聊视频� conduct around document disclosure, experts and witnesses while pursuing a meritless claim under the Charter.

Cambie Surgeries and the other plaintiffs, on the other hand, said the B.C. government had its 91裸聊视频渙wn 91裸聊视频榤assive91裸聊视频� shortcomings in document disclosure and production, and that it derailed the litigation process.

The case eventually went to trial in 2016 and spanned four years before the B.C. Supreme Court ruled against Cambie Surgeries. That decision was upheld by the B.C. Court of Appeal, before the Supreme Court of Canada denied leave for a further appeal.

Neither the Attorney General91裸聊视频檚 office nor clinic owner Dr. Brian Day immediately responded to a request for comment on the ruling.