If the law favours Big Tobacco over taxpayers, then the law is a disgrace | Owen Jones

Thanks to this upcoming £11bn lawsuit, we are about to find out whether the law values corporations over individuals

Do property rights trump the health, wellbeing and lives of millions of people? Around 100,000 Britons die of smoking-related illnesses every year: from cancer to heart disease. Worldwide, the figure is a startling 6 million annually. It’s doubtful that history will be particularly kind to those who profited from the tobacco industry. Our descendants will also undoubtedly find it astonishing that cigarettes were freely available, while possessing far less harmful and addictive substances could end in prison sentences.

With TTIP looming, this privileging of corporate interests over democracy is only about to get worse

Related: The TTIP deal hands British sovereignty to multinationals | Owen Jones

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