Canada: Libel & Defamation

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Litigation law, mediation law, and arbitrage law thought leadership, articles, podcasts, videos and webinars from expert sources across the legal world. Explore insights covering civil law, class actions, dispute resolution, libel and defamation and more in relation to litigation, mediation and arbitration.

Online Criticism And Defamation: An Ontario Anti-SLAPP Decision

On November 25, 2025, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed a $2,000,000 defamation action brought by Theralase Technologies Inc. and two of its executives as an "archetypical example of ‘SLAPP'" (strategic litigation against public participation).

Canada Litigation

DA

DMG Advocates

Court Of Appeal Summaries (January 19 – 23, 2026)

Torts, Defamation, Civil Procedure, Anti-SLAPP, Damages, Costs, Self-Represented Litigants, Full Indemnity, Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.C.43, s. 136.1, Human Rights...

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Ontario Court Of Appeal Clarifies Test For Anti-SLAPP Motions In Benchwood Builders, Inc. v. Prescott, 2025 ONCA 171

The Ontario Court of Appeal's decision in Benchwood Builders, Inc. v. Prescott, 2025 ONCA 171, provides important guidance on the interpretation and application of Ontario's anti-SLAPP legislation...

Canada Litigation

AH

Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP

Court Of Appeal Summaries (December 1 – 5, 2025)

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of December 1, 2025.

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Lawyers Obtain Permanent Injunction To Remove Defamatory Postings Made Against Them (Judson Howie LLP v. Blackwell)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Alberta Court Of Appeal Rules That Absolute Privilege Means Absolute

Canada Litigation

BC

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Civil Claims Struck Due To Privacy Breach From Unauthorized Access To Text Messages (McCarrell v. McCarrell)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Manitoba Adopts Anti SLAPP Protections

Canada Employment

TM

Taylor McCaffrey

Les Excuses En Cas De Diffamation : Une Solution Plus Symbolique Que Juridique?

Canada Litigation

BB

BCF Business Law

Court Of Appeal Summaries (November 17 – 21, 2025)

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Drug-related Defamation: Can You Stop The Spread Of Misinformation?

Canada Healthcare

MT

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Diffamation liée à des médicaments : peut-on mettre fin à la propagation de la mésinformation?

Canada Healthcare

MT

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

CPD ACCREDITED Webinar: Supporting Survivors In Litigation (Video)

Canada Litigation

GP

Gluckstein Lawyers

Protecting Public Interest Expression

Canada Litigation

PV

Pallett Valo LLP

Webinar: 2026 Canadian In-House Counsel Report: Unparalleled Insights into Canada's In-House Profession from CBA In-House Lawyers

Canada Law Practice

TC

CBA In-House Lawyers

Clarification On Joint Wills

CW

Clark Wilson LLP

Accepting Money From A Spouse With Tax Problems Can Give You A Bigger Problem With CRA: Panneton v. The King (2024 TCC 24)

RS

Rotfleisch & Samulovitch P.C.

Workplace Culture As An Excuse: Can A "Racist Culture" Be A Mitigating Factor?

Canada Employment

RT

Rubin Thomlinson LLP

Secret Recordings In The Workplace Can Lead To Dismissal

Canada Employment

CP

Cox & Palmer

Court Of Appeal Summaries (October 6 – 10, 2025)

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of October 6, 2025.

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Judicial Treatment Of Apologies: A Strategic Tool?

Uncertainty around the treatment of apologies at civil law was recently spotlighted in a high-profile defamation case between two Québec public figures.

Canada Litigation

L,

Langlois Lawyers, LLP

Thunder Bay Police Officer's Defamation Claim Against Law Student Dismissed (Gibson v. Cunningham)

A defamation claim against a law student brought by a Thunder Bay police officer was dismissed under Ontario's "anti-SLAPP" legislation: Gibson v. Cunningham, 2025 ONSC 5504 [not yet on CanLII].

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Developer's $300,000 Lawsuit Against Student For Complaints To City SLAPPed Down

Roy moved to have the proceeding thrown out as a SLAPP suit, and on May 13, 2025, Justice Mandhane of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice agreed, dismissing the proceeding as a "gag suit" aimed at intimidating Roy into silence, and awarding full-indemnity costs and damages to him

Canada Litigation

DA

DMG Advocates

Legal Considerations For Live Streaming Content In Canada: What You Need To Know

Canada Media & IT

EC

Edwards Creative Law

Appellate Quarterly (July 2025) – Key Takeaways

Canada Litigation

MT

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Court Of Appeal Summaries (July 28, 2025 - August 1, 2025)

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Copyright Notice And Notice: The Voltage Pictures Case

Canada Litigation

MT

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

No Hurt Feelings: To Recover Substantial Damages For Defamation, Corporate Defendants Must Lead Evidence Of Business Harm

Canada Litigation

TL

Torys LLP

Court Of Appeal Clarifies Corporate Defamation Damages

Worldwide Litigation

LL

Lerners LLP

Sorry, But Corporations Have No Feelings

Canada Commercial

Phillips Barristers

Court Of Appeal Summaries (June 16-20, 2025)

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Developer Hit With $25,000 Damages Award On Anti-SLAPP Motion (Sheridan Retail Inc. V. Roy)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Appealing Briefs – Episode 21 Benchwood: Can Businesses Sue For Negative Online Reviews? (Podcast)

Canada Litigation

MT

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Sorry, But Corporations Have No Feelings

Can a corporation feel the sting of a defamatory statement? In short, no.

Canada Commercial

Phillips Barristers

Court Of Appeal Summaries (June 16-20, 2025)

The impugned documents should be expunged from the Appeal Book and Compendium.

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Developer Hit With $25,000 Damages Award On Anti-SLAPP Motion (Sheridan Retail Inc. V. Roy)

The anti-SLAPP provisions of the Courts of Justice Act ("CJA") are powerful. If a motion succeeds in dismissing a plaintiff's action on the basis that the action was merely meant to gag the free expression...

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Appealing Briefs – Episode 21 Benchwood: Can Businesses Sue For Negative Online Reviews? (Podcast)

When is litigation available to fight back against false and damaging online reviews?

Canada Litigation

MT

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Court Of Appeal Upholds Decision To Dismiss Defamation Action Of Dog-sled Business (Windrift Adventures Inc. v. CTV-Bell Media Inc.)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Beyond Statutory Immunity: British Columbia Supreme Court Case Exposes New Civil Liability Risks For Regulators

Unfair regulatory investigations and decisions now present more than just judicial review risks...

Canada Litigation

D

Dentons Canada LLP

Has The Court Of Appeal Made It Harder To Succeed On A SLAPP Motion In A Defamation Case? (Benchwood Builders Inc. v. Prescott)

For many years, I have written about defamation cases and SLAPP motions in which defendants have sought the early dismissal of defamation actions under section 137.1...

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Ontario Court Of Appeal Rules On Defamation And Online Reviews

In Benchwood Builders Inc v Prescott, the Court of Appeal for Ontario provided further guidance on the interpretation of section 137.1...

Canada Litigation

LS

Lenczner Slaght LLP

Modern, Flexible Approach To Assessment Of Defamation Pleading Applied To Republication (Sawatzky v. Prince Albert Golf And Curling Club Inc.)

Pleadings are important documents in a civil litigation case. The pleadings tell the story about a dispute. Under court rules, the parties are required to describe...

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Plaintiff Obtains Summary Judgment Against Former Lawyers (Longarini v. Llyod)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Demand For Payment Undermines Defendant's Position That Defamation Action Involved A Matter Of Public Interest (Diverse Transportation v. Chen)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Court Of Appeal Summaries (February 10 – 14)

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Defamation Claim Survives Dismissal Under Doctrine Of Absolute Privilege (Drabinsky v. Kepinski)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Defamation In Academia: A Legal And Practical Limit On Academic Freedom

Worldwide Litigation

WL

WeirFoulds LLP

Defamation Action Arising Out Of Relationship Breakdown Allowed To Proceed, But No Costs Ordered (Brown v. Landriault)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Lawyer's Defamation Action Against Former Colleague Dismissed

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Unmasking Keyboard Warriors: Tackling Anonymous Online Defamation

Canada Litigation

TM

Taylor McCaffrey

Media Article That Reports On Court Decision Not Proper Subject For A Defamation Claim (Masjoody V. Burnaby Beacon)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Can I Sue Someone Over A Defamatory Social Media Post?

Canada Media & IT

DS

Devry Smith Frank LLP

L'immunité absolue s'applique-t-elle à des commentaires diffamatoires sur un tiers?

Canada Litigation

BC

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Defendant Business Competitors Liable For Defamation Campaign Based On Common Design (Valley Traffic Systems Inc. V. Malak)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Court Of Appeal Summaries (November 4 – 8, 2024)

Canada Litigation

BM

Blaney McMurtry LLP

Lawyer's Letter Protected From Defamation Claim By Absolute Privilege (Neve v. Adams)

Canada Litigation

GR

Gardiner Roberts LLP

Absolute Privilege: Does It Protect Against Defamatory Comments About Third Parties?

Canada Litigation

BC

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

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Latest Videos

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CPD ACCREDITED Webinar: Supporting Survivors In Litigation (Video)

GP

Gluckstein Lawyers

Internet Defamation: The Basics And Some Things To Consider (Video Content)

LL

Lerners LLP

Can A Business Be Defamed? (Video Blog)

LL

Lerners LLP

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