Fair comment defence successfully used to excuse radio host from defamation claim

FAIRCOMMENTDEFENCESUCCESSFULLYUSEDTOEXCUSERADIOHOST
FROMDEFAMATIONCLAIM

LAURENTCARRIÈREANDIANAALEXOVA*
LEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
L
AWYERS,ANDPATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
PRECIS:TheSupremeCourtofCanadahasacceptedtheuseofthefaircomment
defenceinrelationtoaradioeditorialthatcomparedasocialactivisttocertain
notoriousbigots.Inreachingitsdecisionthecourtanalyzedthefreedomof
expressionenjoyedbythemedia,butnotedthatthismustbeweighedagainstthe
reputationsofindividuals.
InWICRadioLtdvSimpson(2008SCC40;2008-06-27)theSupremeCourtof
Canadarestoredatrialjudgment,previouslyreversedbytheBritishColumbiaCourt
ofAppeal,inwhichthefaircommentdefencewasdeemedapplicable.Thedefence
balancestwovalues:theprotectionofareputationandthefreedomofexpression.
RafeMair,acontroversialradiohostworkingforCKNW,ownedandoperatedby
WICRadioLtd,broadcastedaneditorialconcerningsocialactivistKariSimpson.In
thebroadcastMaircomparedSimpson’sbehaviourtoHitler,theKuKluxKlanand
othernotoriousbigots.
Simpsonsubmittedthatpartsofthebroadcastweredefamatorysincetheyconveyed
certaininsinuations,includingthat:
·sheencouragedparentstotaketheirchildrenoutofschoolsinthecasetheir
teacherwasgay;and
·shepreachedhatredagainsthomosexualsinawaythatcouldinfluence
peopletotakemattersintotheirownhands.
Mairallegedthathemadenosuchattributionsofviolence.



















































©CIPS,2008.*Lawyerandtrade-markagent,LaurentCarrière,isaseniorpartnerwithLEGERROBICRICHARD,
LLP
amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,andpatentandtrademarkagents.IanaAlexovaisanarticling
studentwiththefirm.Publishedinthe2008-09-11issueofWorldMediaLawReport.Publication
328.051.

2
TheSupremeCourtnotedthatthefreedomofexpressionenjoyedbythemediawas
traditionallyconsiderednogreaterthanthatofothermembersofthecommunity.
However,itobservedthatSection2(b)oftheCanadianCharterofRightsand
Freedomsspecificallyrefersto“freedomofthepressandothermediaof
communication”,presumablytohighlighttheirsignificanceinpubliclife.Therefore,
thecourtstatedthatthereputationofeachindividualisavaluetobeweighed
againstfreedomofexpression(includingfreedomofthemedia)insuchawayasto
attemptreconciliation.
Thefollowingelementsconstitutedthefaircommentdefence:
·Thecommentmustbeonamatterofpublicinterest;
·Thecommentmustbebasedonfact;
·Thecomment,althoughitcanincludeinferencesoffact,mustberecognizableas
comment;
·Thecommentmustsatisfythehonestbelieftest(ie,couldanypersonhonestly
expressthatopinionontheprovedfacts);and
·Eventhoughthecommentsatisfiesthehonestbelieftest,thedefencecanbe
defeatediftheplaintiffprovesthatthedefendantwasactuatedbyexpress
malice.
Withregardtotheappellant’shonestbelief,JudgeBinnieconcludedthat:

“Inmyview,however,havingregardtothetrialjudge’sreasonsasawhole,and
consideringboththecontentofsomeofSimpson’sspeechesalreadymentionedand
thebroadlatitudeallowedbythedefenceoffaircomment,thedefamatoryimputation
thatwhileSimpsonwouldnotengageinviolenceherselfshe“wouldcondoneviolence”
byothersisanopinionthatcouldhonestlyhavebeenexpressedontheprovedfacts
byaperson“prejudiced…exaggeratedorobstinate[in]hisviews”.Thatisallthatthe
lawrequires.”
Inregardtoexpressmalice,thecourtrecognizedthatprovingthisonthepartofthe
mediaisgenerallyverydifficultsincethemediaarewellresourcedandsecretive
abouttheirinnerworkings-evenmoresoregardingtheirconfidentialsources.
Hence,itwasaffirmedthatadefendantmustprovetheelementsofthefaircomment
defencebeforetheburdenshiftstotheplaintifftodefeatthatdefenceby
establishing,ifpossible,maliceonthedefendant’spart.Simpsondidnotappealthe
trialjudge’sfindingthatthedefencewasnotimpairedbymalice.
Thecourtheldthatthefaircommentdefenceappliedtothecaseathandandthe
trialjudgehadbeencorrecttoallowit.

3

4
ROBIC,ungroupedavocatsetdagentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommercevoué
depuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledanstousles
domaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesdecommerce,
marquesdecertificationetappellationsdorigine;droitsdauteur,propriétélittéraireet
artistique,droitsvoisinsetdelartisteinterprète;informatique,logicielsetcircuits
intégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentionsvégétales;secretsde
commerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchisesettransfertsdetechnologies;
commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;marquage,publicitéet
étiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteetaudit.ROBIC,agroupof
lawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicatedsince1892totheprotectionand
thevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:patents,industrialdesignsandutility
patents;trademarks,certificationmarksandindicationsoforigin;copyrightand
entertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,neighbouringrights;computer,softwareand
integratedcircuits;biotechnologies,pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,
know-how,competitionandanti-trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-
commerce,distributionandbusinesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecution
litigationandarbitration;duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLULINVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELA
PLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOUR
IDEASTOTHEWORLD