OTTAWA - The Right to Life Association of Toronto has lost a court bid to suspend a federal requirement that groups applying for summer-job grants affirm their respect for a woman's right to have an abortion.

The Toronto anti-abortion group had asked the Federal Court of Canada to put the requirement on hold while the underlying merits of the case could be argued fully.

In a ruling, the Federal Court says the group has not established that the harm it expects to suffer in the absence of an injunction outweighs the damage to the public interest from a suspension of the requirement.

The Liberals added the condition to the Canada Summer Jobs program, which helps employers subsidize the cost of hiring students for summer work.

The requirement stipulates that an applicant must affirm that both the job description and the group's core mandate respect human rights, including reproductive rights.

In the ongoing case, The Right to Life Association and a job-seeking student are asking the Federal Court to quash the government's decision to add the requirement.