When political rivalry rimes with libel
W
HENPOLITICALRIVALRYRIMESWITHLIBEL
LAURENTCARRIÈREANDCLÉAIAVARONE-TURCOTTE*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
PRECIS:InLavignev.Chenail[2009QCCS2518(CanLII)]theSuperiorCourtof
Québecgrantedtheplaintiffscompensatoryaswellaspunitivedamagesfora
libellousletterpublishedinalocalpaper.
Thefactscouldbesummarizedasfollows:plaintiffDianeLavigne,defeatedmayor
ofthesmalltownofSainte-Clothilde,anddefendantAndréChenail,deputyof
HuntingdoncountyandformermayorofSainte-Clothilde,arelongtimerivals
belongingtooppositepoliticalparties.InAugust2005,Ms.Lavigne,atthattime
mayor,andco-plaintiffKeithBurton,herspouse,readalettertotheeditorpublished
in«leCoupd’Oeil»,thelocalpaper.Thisletter,signedbyAndréChenailasdeputy
ofHuntingdon,allegedthatLavigne,whenconductingpublicduties,servedherown
interestsandherhusbands’ratherthanthoseofthecommunity.Themissive,inan
undoubtedlyaccusatorytone,statedthatLavigneconfusedpersonalandcollective
interestbygrantingherselfanundeservedraisewithoutconsultingthecitizens
beforehand,andalsobypushingfortheinstallationofawatertreatmentsystemin
town,inorderforherandherfamilytobenefitfromit.
Thisopenletter,publishedduringtheelectoralcampaign,wasreadbynumerous
citizensofSainte-Clothildeandseriouslyaffectedthemayor©sreputation.Ms.
Lavignefacedaincreasedmistrustfromherelectors,whicheventuallyleadtoher
defeat.Shewasdeeplyhurtbythefalseallegationscontainedintheletteraswellas
bythefactthatthepeopleofSainte-Clothildedidnotquestionitslibellouscontent.
Shealsohadtoputupwithmockerycomingfromthelocalpeople,especially
Chenailhimselfandhissupporters.Consequently,shesufferedadepressionand
gainedalotofweightinreactiontothestresscausedbyheropponent©smanœuvre.
Moreover,theletteralsodefamedthemayor’sspouse,Mr.Burton,who,asaresult,
sufferedthreeseizuresandinsomnia.