Vexatious litigant ordered to stop filing
VEXATIOUSLITIGANTORDEREDTOSTOPFILING
L
AURENTCARRIÈREANDKARINEJARRY*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
FollowinganumberofincidentsandthefilingofafrivolousC$5millionsuitagainst
twolocalnewspapers,aradiostationandatownanditsmayor,theSuperiorCourt
ofQuebechasdeclaredNidalJoadtobeavexatiouslitigantandorderedhimto
refrainfromfilinganyclaimswithoutwrittenpermissionoftheSuperiorCourt[Joad
v.JournalLaVoix,2008QCCS1560(Que.Sup.Ct.,TessierJ.;2008-04-10)]
Joadallegedthatthetown’smayorusedhispowerandthemediatoharmhim,
closedownhisvariousbusinessesandblockhisfutureprojects.HeclaimedC$1
millionindamagesagainstthemayorandafurtherC$1millionagainstthetown.
Joadalsoallegedthatthelocalradiostationandtwolocalnewspapersabusedhis
rightsbyrefusingto:
·publishhispressreleases;
·sellhimadvertisingspace;
·publishhisreplies;or
·allowhimtorespondtounfavourablecommentsmadeabouthim.
Moreover,heallegedthatthemediapublisheddefamatoryinformationabouthim.
Herequestedapermanentinjunctiontoforcethemtopublishhisopinionsand
advertisementsandclaimedC$1millionperorganizationfordamagessuffered.
ThedefendantsquestionedthemeritsinfactandinlawofJoad’sclaim,presentinga
counterclaimaskingthecourttodeclarehimavexatiouslitigantpursuanttoSection
84oftheRulesofPracticeinCivilMattersoftheSuperiorCourt(DistrictofQuebec)
andimposevariousrestrictionsonhim.
Thecasefollowsseveralincidentsinvolvingtheplaintiffandthedefendants.For
example,whenthelocalradiostationreportedthatJoadwaschargedwithassault
underSection265(1)oftheCriminalCodeafterassaultingapostwoman,he
©CIPS,2008.
*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.KarineJarryisanarticling
studentwiththefirm.Publishedinthe2008-06-05issueofWorldMediaLawReport.Publication
328.044.
2
consideredthereporttobedamagingtohisreputation.Inaddition,Joadallegedthat
duringhisbidforprovincialelectionthemediadidnotgivehimenoughcoverage
andhencewereguiltyofdiscrimination.
Thejudgeheldthataninjunctionforcingthemediatopublishtheplaintiff’sopinions
wouldbetantamounttodictatingthemedia’seditorialcontent–andthusbeakinto
censorship.Heexplainedthatfreedomofthepressisadirectcorollaryoffreedomof
expression,anotionthatisentrenchedintheCharterofHumanRightsand
Freedoms.However,thisnotiondoesnotrequirethemediatocommunicatethe
ideasoropinionsofeveryonewhowantstoexercisethatright.Accordingtothe
judge,thetwonewspapershadnojudicialobligationtopublishtheplaintiff’swritings
orarticlesandtheradiostationhadnojudicialobligationtogivetheplaintiffairtime
ortoinvitehimtoapublicinterestshowsohecouldgivehisopinions.
ThejudgenotedthatSection2ofthePressActgivesaplaintiffthreemonthsafter
publicationofanincriminatingarticle,oruptooneyearafteracquiringknowledgeof
thearticle,totakeaction.However,theplaintiffprovidednoproofregardinghis
reputation,thedamagedonetoitortheallegeddefamation.Thejudgealsostated
thatnomediacanbeforcedtopublishorairanadvertisementasthisisaquestion
ofcontractualfreedomand,furthermore,inhispreviousdealingswiththevarious
mediaJoadhadbehavedinsuchawayastodiscouragethedefendantsfrom
furtheringtheirbusinessrelationshipswithhim.
ThejudgeheldthatasJoadhadahistoryoffilingnumeroussuitsandcountersuits
againstalmostanybodywhocrossedhispath,notstoppinguntilallremedieswere
exhausted,heclearlyexhibitedsignsofbeingavexatiouslitigant.Thus,thejudge
orderedhimtorefrainfromfilinganyclaims,motions,proceduresortexttothe
superiorcourtoritsclerks,eitherdirectlyorindirectly,personallyorthroughathird
party,unlesshehaspreviouslyobtainedwrittenauthorizationfromthechiefjustice.
3
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