The Federal Court has once again faulted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for how it has handled the cases of disabled lobster licence holders who sought lengthy exemptions from federal rules that require them to be on board the boat when it is fishing.

In a pair of decisions this week, Justice Richard Southcott ruled the deputy minister didn't properly take into account whether two Nova Scotia fishermen would be discriminated against when the department indicated it would stop allowing su…