When political rivalry rimes with libel

2009-01-01

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.

CIPS,2009.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrade-markagents.CléaIavarone-Turcotteis
anArticlingstudentwiththefirm.Publishedinthe2009-07-11issueofWorldMediaLawReport.
Publication328.068.

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ThiscasebeingoneofcivilresponsibilityunertheQuebecCivilCode,theCourtfirst
neededtodetermineifChenail’spublishedarticlebreachedboththeplaintiffs’right
totheirreputation’srespectand,hence,constitutedafaultintermsofcivillaw.This
fault,accordingtoJusticeTrahan,couldbetheresultoftwotypesofconduct.Inthe
firsttype,thedefendantwouldintentionallyattacktheplaintiffs’sreputation,inorder
toridiculeorhumiliatethem,toexposethemtothehatredorcontemptofthepublic
oragroup.Inthesecondtypeidentifiedbythejudge,thedefendantwould
unintentionallydefametheplaintiffsbybeingnegligent.
Thejudgefurtherstatedthatinordertobequalifiedasdefamatory,theremarks
shouldbeanalyzedobjectively,thatis,consideredharmfultoone’sreputationbyan
ordinarycitizen.Theexistenceofafaultisalso,asJusticeTrahanstressed,a
questionofcontext,thefactsandcircumstancesofthecasebeingofgreat
importancewhendeterminingifthelettercanbeconsideredlibellous.Finally,the
Courtpointedoutthenecessityoftakingintoaccountfreedomofspeechwhich,ina
democraticsociety,isafundamentalfreedomofequalimportanceastherighttothe
respectofone’sreputation.Theanalysiswouldn’tbecompleteifitdidn’tbalanceout
thesetwoessentialvalues.
Inlightofthisanalysis,JusticeTrahanfirstfoundtheallegationscontainedinthe
letterwerebasedonunverifiedfactsand,thus,werefalse.Firstly,themayor’sraise
wasduetotheinitiativeofamunicipalcounsellorandwasneverbroughtto
Lavigne’sattentionwhenbeingdiscussed.Secondly,themayor’seagernessto
implementthewatertreatmentsystemhadnothingtodowithself-interest,butwas
rathercausedbythenecessitytomeetcertainadministrativedeadlinesandobtain
therequiredfinancing.Ifsigningapublicallyreleasedlettercontainingfalse
assertionswasreprehensibleperse,whatmadeChenail’scaseevenworse,
accordingtotheCourt,wasthatitwasclearlydoneinfullknowlegdeofthefacts,
sinceChenailadmittedincourthiswillto©crush©hispoliticaladversary.AsforMr.
Burton,Ms.Lavigne’shusband,hewasincludedintheletteroutofmerelackof
concern.Thejudgestatedtheletterwasnothingbutasettlingofscoresbetween
thedefendantandLavigne,areactiononChenail©sparttoapreviousletterMs.
LavignesenttothePrimeMinister,inwhichshecomplainedabouthisactions
againstherpoliticalinitiatives
.

JusticeTrahanthereforeheldthatnotonlyChenail©sletterwaslibellous,butitwas
sointentionally
.Thisintentionalitybeingdemonstrated,theCourt,underSection49
oftheQuebecCharterofHumanRightsandFreedoms,wasauthorizedtoimpose
punitivedamagesaswellascompensatoryones.
Thepunitivedamages,saidtheCourt,aremeanttopenalizeareproachable
behaviourandthereforepublicallyshowreprobationwithregardstothisbehaviour.
Asforthequestionofhowmuchone’sreputationisworth,thejudge,after

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highlightingthedifficultyofquantifyingmoraldamages,establishedthevalue
accordingtothefollowingfactors:defamatoryremarksandtheirdiffusion,identityof
thevictimsandher/hisconductand,finally,identityofthedefendantandhis
conduct.Thejudgethereforesettledonanamountof$10,000.00forpunitive
damagestoeachoftheplaintiffs.
Thecompensatorydamageswereestablishedat$50,000.00forLavigneand
$20,000.00forBurton.Thisjudgementwasalsomeant,asmentionedbyJustice
Trahanherself,toremindpublicofficersthatanirreproachableandupright
behaviourisexpectedoftheminallcircumstances.

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