A judge has struck down an attempt to launch a class-action lawsuit against the B.C. government for its alleged role in a deadly landslide that killed five people on a highway northeast of Whistler. …But the core of the case hinged on an old forest service road that had never been deactivated….The plaintiff’s lawyer Robert Gibbens claimed the province had known about it for 15 to 20 years but failed to ensure it was properly decommissioned. …But in his decision, Thomas found that while the Ministry of Transportation manages highways, the statutory authority to deactivate service roads lies with the Ministry of Forests. When the judge examined that ministry’s responsibilities, he found an exemption in the Forest and Range Practices Act that provided decision-makers with legal immunity from damages.