The Supreme Court on Friday (11) ordered the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) to display pictorial warnings on 60 percent of the surface of a packet of cigarettes, with 40 percent of the surface area to be allocated for the manufacturer’s details with effect from January 01, 2014.
The verdict was delivered by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, Justice Rohini Marasinghe and Justice Sisira J. De Abrew when the Fundamental Rights petition filed by the CTC against a decision taken by the Minister of Health to print pictorial warnings on cigarette packets.
Accordingly, as of the 31st of December this year all cigarettes packets on shelves must be replaced with packaging that contains the warning. The Supreme Court verdict comes after the CTC challenged the ruling issued by the Court of Appeal on the matter. (HC)
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