TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface...P-1 Table of Cases... TC-1 INTRODUCTION IN:10 IN:20 IN:30 IN:40 IN:50 IN:60 IN:70 Overview... INT-1 What is Defamation?... INT-3 What is the Difference Between Libel and Slander?... INT-12 Innuendo: Do Words Have to be Defamatory in Their Primary Meaning in Order to be Actionable?... INT-14 Publication: At What Time is a Libel Committed?... INT-18 Where is a Libel Committed?... INT-19 Criminal Libel: Can There be Criminal as Well as Civil Consequences to a Libel?... INT-22 Chapter 1 THE PLAINTIFF 1:10 When can a Corporation sue or be sued for Defamation?...1-1 1:20 Can Associations and Trade Unions sue and be sued for Defamation?...1-4 1:30 What is the Position of Groups or Classes of Persons who may Consider Themselves to Have Been Libelled?...1-8 1:40 What Significance is There to Whether the Person Defamed is Living or Dead?... 1-11 1:50 What can be Said About a Person s Business and Trade?... 1-12 Chapter 2 THE DEFENDANT 2:10 Intention: Does it Matter That a Person Publishing a Libel did not Intend to Defame Anyone?...2-1 2:20 Malice: Can the Mere Telling of an Untruth About a Person Result in Liability?...2-3 2:30 Repetition: Is it a Defence to an Allegation of Libel That the Publisher was Only Repeating Words Uttered by Others?...2-4 2:40 Who is Responsible for a Published Libel?...2-7 2:50 What Right Does a Publisher Have to Refuse to Print a Libel Submitted for Publication by an Author or Advertiser?... 2-13 C-1 September 2016
Chapter 3 MEDIA DEFENDANTS 3:10 Right of Retraction...3-1 3:20 Letters to the Editor and Guest Editorials...3-1 Chapter 4 DEFENCES 4:10 When is a Publisher Entitled to Print Defamatory Material?...4-1 4:20 What is Justification?...4-1 4:30 What is Fair Comment?...4-6 4:40 What is the Public Interest Required for the Defence of Fair Comment?... 4-11 4:50 Is There any Special Position With Respect to Public Figures?... 4-12 4:60 Privilege: Are There Occasions Whose Special Character Protects Statements Published on Those Occasions?... 4-16 4:60.10 Absolute Privilege... 4-16 4:60.20 Qualified Privilege... 4-23 4:60.30 Periodicals and Newspapers... 4-32.2 4:60.40 The United Kingdom Reynolds Privilege and Media Defendants... 4-32.3 4:60.50 Development in Canada Defence of Responsible Communication On Matters of Public Interest... 4-32.4 4:70 Negligent Publication... 4-32.8 4:80 Republication of Privileged Statements... 4-32.9 4:90 Consent or Authorization... 4-34 Chapter 5 REMEDIES 5:10 Apology...5-1 5:20 Injunctions...5-5 5:30 Damages... 5-15 Chapter 6 CANADIAN DEFAMATION LAW AND PRACTICE LITIGATING A DEFAMATION ACTION 6:10 Statutory Notices and Limitation Periods...6-2 6:10.10 Who is Entitled to Notice?...6-5 6:10.20 Contents of the Notice and Practice Considerations...6-8 6:10.30 Service and Timing of the Notice...6-9 6:10.40 Motions to Strike where no Notice... 6-11 6:10.50 Notice to the CBC and Crown... 6-11 6:10.60 Limitation Periods Re Newspapers and Broadcasts... 6-12 6:10.70 Single Publication Rule and the Internet... 6-13 6:10.80 General Limitation Periods... 6-15 6:20 Pleadings: Statement of Claim... 6-15 6:20.10 Importance of Pleadings in Defamation Actions... 6-15 6:20.20 Presumptions... 6-16 6:20.30 Publication... 6-16 C-2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 6:20.40 Defamatory Communication... 6-16.2 6:20.40.10 Pleading the Entire Article and Books... 6-16.3 6:20.40.20 Audio-Visual Broadcasts and Motion Pictures... 6-17 6:20.50 Pleading the Defamatory Meaning... 6-18 6:20.60 Where the Plaintiff is not Named in the Defamatory Communication... 6-20 6:20.70 Damages... 6-20 6:20.80 Jurisdiction and Place of Trial... 6-21 6:30 Pleadings: Statement of Defence... 6-23 6:30.10 Introduction... 6-23 6:30.20 Justification... 6-24 6:30.20.10 Polly Peck: Justifying the Defendants Meaning... 6-26 6:30.20.20 Partial Plea of Justification... 6-29 6:30.30 Fair Comment and the Rolled-up Plea... 6-30 6:30.40 Privilege... 6-31 6:30.50 Consent or Authorization... 6-32 6:30.60 Jest and Implied Facts... 6-32 6:30.70 Pleading The Charter of Rights... 6-34 6:30.80 Mitigation of Damages... 6-36 6:40 Security for Costs... 6-40 6:50 Reply... 6-43 6:60 Discovery... 6-44 6:60.10 Different from Other Actions?... 6-44 6:60.20 Documentary Production... 6-46 6:60.30 Plaintiff s Discovery of the Defendant... 6-47 6:60.40 Defendant s Discovery of the Plaintiff... 6-49 6:70 Evidence at Trial... 6-51 6:70.10 Burden of Proof and Presumptions... 6-53 6:70.20 Evidence for the Plaintiff... 6-54 6:70.20.10 Publication... 6-54 6:70.20.20 Identification of the Plaintiff... 6-55 6:70.20.30 Proof of Defamatory Meaning... 6-56 6:70.20.40 Evidence of Reputation and Damages... 6-59 6:70.30 Evidence for the Defendant... 6-60 6:70.30.10 Proof of Justification... 6-60 6:70.30.20 Proof of Privilege... 6-60.1 6:70.30.30 Proof of Fair Comment... 6-60.2 6:70.40 Evidence in Mitigation of Damages... 6-61 6:70.40.10 The Plaintiff s Poor Reputation or Imprudence... 6-62 6:70.40.20 Apology and Retraction... 6-64 6:70.40.30 The Defendant s State of Mind... 6-65 6:70.40.40 Other Statutory Provisions in Mitigation of Damages... 6-65 6:70.50 Reply Evidence... 6-66 6:70.50.10 Proof of Malice... 6-66 C-3 September 2016
6:70.60 Motion for Non-Suit... 6-68 6:80 Forum/Juries... 6-69 6:80.10 Proper Court and Convenient Forum... 6-69 6:80.20 Jury or Non-Jury Action... 6-72 6:80.30 Functions of Judge and Jury in Defamation Actions... 6-73 6:80.40 Jury Addresses... 6-76 6:80.50 Jury Charge and Verdicts... 6-79 Chapter 7 CONTEMPT OF COURT 7:10 When may Published Material Constitute Contempt of Court?...7-1 7:20 The Integrity of the Judicial Process...7-2 7:30 The Right to a Fair Trial... 7-2.1 7:40 Other Considerations...7-6 Chapter 8 SOURCES 8:10 Generally...8-1 Chapter 9 FICTION 9:10 Introduction...9-1 9:20 Identification...9-1 9:30 Humour, Satire and Irony...9-2 Chapter 10 THE INTERNET 10:10 The Effect of the Internet on Defamation... 10-1 10:20 Liability of Internet Service Providers... 10-1 10:30 The Internet and the Definition of Broadcast... 10-6.1 10:40 The World Wide Web and the Issue of Jurisdiction... 10-7 10:50 Anonymous Defendants... 10-12 Chapter 11 QUEBEC 11:10 Special Comments Regarding the Province of Quebec... 11-1 11:20 The Elements of Defamation in Quebec... 11-2 11:20.10 Injury... 11-2 11:20.20 Fault... 11-3 11:20.30 Causal Connection... 11-4 11:30 Defences to Defamation in Quebec... 11-4 11:40 Conclusion Regarding Quebec... 11-4 Chapter 12 CANADIAN DEFAMATION LAW AND PRACTICE DEFAMATION LAW AND THE CHARTER 12:10 Introduction... 12-1 12:20 Freedom of Expression Before the Charter... 12-3 12:30 The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms... 12-5 C-4
TABLE OF CONTENTS 12:40 Hill v. Church of Scientology... 12-6 12:50 Upsetting the Balance: Developments in the Common Law World... 12-10 12:50.10 England... 12-10 12:50.20 Australia... 12-13 12:50.30 New Zealand... 12-14 12:60 The Supreme Court of Canada Trilogy: WIC Radio, Grant and Quan...12-14.1 12:60.10 WIC Radio Ltd. v. Simpson...12-14.1 12:60.20 Quan v. Cusson... 12-17 12:60.30 Grant v. Torstar Corp.... 12-20 12:70 Conclusion... 12-26 Chapter 13 RELATED ACTIONS 13:10 Introduction... 13-1 13:20 Injurious or Malicious Falsehood or Slander of Goods... 13-1 13:30 Intentional Interference and Inducing Breach of Contract... 13-4 13:40 Conspiracy and Negligence... 13-6 13:50 Intentional Infliction of Mental Suffering... 13-7 13:60 Abuse of Process... 13-9 13:70 Tort of Intrusion Upon Seclusion... 13-10 APPENDICES LITIGATION PRECEDENTS Appendix A SAMPLE DEFAMATION NOTICE... APA-1 Appendix B SAMPLE STATEMENT OF CLAIM... APB-1 Appendix C SAMPLE STATEMENT OF DEFENCE... APC-1 Appendix D SAMPLE REPLY... APD-1 RELEVANT STATUTORY PROVISIONS Appendix E ALBERTA... APE-1 Appendix F BRITISH COLUMBIA... APF-1 Appendix G MANITOBA... APG-1 Appendix H NEW BRUNSWICK... APH-1 Appendix I NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR... API-1 Appendix J NORTHWEST TERRITORIES... APJ-1 Appendix K NOVA SCOTIA... APK-1 Appendix L NUNAVUT... APL-1 Appendix M ONTARIO... APM-1 Appendix N PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND... APN-1 Appendix O QUEBEC... APO-1 Appendix P SASKATCHEWAN...APP-1 Appendix Q YUKON... APQ-1 C-5 November 2016
CANADIAN DEFAMATION LAW AND PRACTICE DEFAMATION QUANTUM TABLE...Q-1 I. Internet (Excluding E-mails)...Q-3 II. Letter (Including E-mails)... Q-35 III. Mass Media Newspaper... Q-59 IV. Mass Media Radio... Q-71 V. Mass Media Television/Film... Q-75 VI. Public Statement(s)... Q-81 VII. Print Publication (Including CD-ROM)... Q-89 VIII. Republication... Q-95 IX. Telecommunication... Q-105 X. Other... Q-109 Index... IN-1 C-6