A B.C. Court of Appeal tribunal will hear arguments Thursday and Friday in Vancouver about why women should be allowed to ski jump at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Lawyers for 14 women are seeking an expedited judgment in their appeal of a July 10 gender discrimination verdict by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon. Fenlon upheld a 2006 International Olympic Committee decision against adding a female division for Vancouver 2010.
Though VANOC is bound by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, she decided the Switzerland-based IOC is not.
Lawyers Ross Clark and Jeffrey Horswill claim in a court filing that Fenlon "failed to address the real issue, which is whether VANOC is prohibited by the Charter from hosting the discriminatory men's ski jumping events. Therefore, her conclusion that VANOC is not 'in breach of the Charter' cannot, with respect, be sustained."
Seven of the plaintiffs and Women's Ski Jumping USA president Deedee Corradini are expected to observe as Justices David Frankel, Harvey Groberman and Anne Rowles preside in room 61 of the Law Courts.
The first event of the Games Feb. 12 is a men's ski jumping preliminary at the $122.4 million, taxpayer-funded Whistler Olympic Park.
