(file photo/Rio Tinto Exploration Canada)

By Glenn Hicks

diamond project

Diamond project partners seek speedy resolution of legal differences

Apr 1, 2020 | 8:18 AM

Star Diamond Corp and Rio Tinto might not see eye-to-eye on their partnership arrangement at Project Falcon east of Prince Albert, but they are working together to try to resolve their legal differences promptly.

They have submitted what’s known as a Joint Request for a Case Management judge to try to speed up the process and have the matter transferred from the Court of Queen’s Bench in Regina to the Judicial Centre of Saskatoon.

Case Management is generally aimed at reducing unnecessary delay and costs in legal proceedings, and can result in speedy settlements or get matters to trial more quickly.

The diamond mining project at Fort à la Corne has a preliminary value of $2 billion according to the court filing, and that’s one of the reasons given for the request for the Case Management. The parties said their rights and interests “are significant” and “the resolution of the [legal] action will determine the plaintiffs’ and defendants’ respective rights and obligations…”

Star Diamond claims Rio Tinto has breached its Option to Joint Venture agreement, has racked up excessive costs, and failed to share information about the diamond exploration finds so far.

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Rio Tinto has said it would strongly defend the legal proceedings and had yet to file a Statement of Defence.

The Joint Request for Case Management was filed March 16.

When Star Diamond Corp filed its Statement of Claim March 3, it asked the court for an interim injunction restraining Rio Tinto from calling or conducting any meeting of the management committee of the joint venture, and restraining the mining company from exercising any of its option rights.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow