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Alexander Vavilov’s Supreme Court battle for Canadian citizenship set a legal standard for “reasonableness” in administrative decision-making, impacting the fate of hundreds of ostriches at B.C.’s Universal Ostrich Farms. The Supreme Court dismissed the farm’s appeal against a cull ordered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) due to avian flu concerns, which the court deemed justified under Vavilov’s precedent. The CFIA rejected the farm’s request for an exemption based on the ostriches’ genetics, leading to unsuccessful judicial reviews. Ultimately, the court emphasized that judges should refrain from intervening in scientific matters and focus on the reasonableness of decisions made by experts.
