Vexatious litigant ordered to stop filing

2008-01-01

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
ROBIC,ungroupedavocatsetdagentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevouédepuis1892àla
protectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstouslesdomaines:brevets,dessins
industrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsdorigine;
droitsdauteur,propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdelartisteinterprète;informatique,
logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsde
commerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;commerce
électronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeet
arbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagents
dedicatedsince1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,
industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyright
andentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegrated
circuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionand
anti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;
marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLULINVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELAPLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEASTOTHE
WORLD