Anti-SLAPP Laws in Canada: Ontario, BC, Quebec and Manitoba
Ontario's s.137.1 test from Pointes Protection, BC's Protection of Public Participation Act, Quebec's Code of Civil Procedure, and Manitoba's new fourth-province anti-SLAPP law.
9 min read
Canada Defamation Law
9 articles
Canada Defamation Time Limits: Notice Deadlines and Limitation Periods by Province
The newspaper and broadcast notice traps and limitation periods in every Canadian province, with exact deadlines, who they apply to, and where Quebec and the territories differ.
12 min read
Defamation Damages in Canada: What Courts Actually Award
Canadian defamation damages are uncapped, but the $1.6 million Hill v. Church of Scientology award is a ceiling-setting outlier. A peer-reviewed study puts the median award near $29,000.
9 min read
Defamation Defences in Canada: Justification, Fair Comment, Privilege
Justification, the WIC Radio fair comment test, Grant v. Torstar responsible communication, privilege, and apology laws. The defences to a defamation claim across common law Canada.
12 min read
Defamation Law in Canada: A Province-by-Province Guide
Canada runs two defamation systems: common law everywhere except Quebec, and a fault-based civil code in Quebec. Deadlines are the urgent part, from six weeks in Ontario to one year in Quebec.
9 min read
Defamation Law in Quebec: A Different Legal System, Not a Variant of the Common Law
Quebec defamation runs on the Civil Code and the Quebec Charter, not the common law used in the rest of Canada: fault-based liability, no presumed damages, and a one-year prescription period.
8 min read
Online Defamation in Canada: Hyperlinks, Platforms and Criminal Libel
Crookes v. Newton on hyperlinks, why Canada has no section 230 platform immunity, Criminal Code ss.298-301 defamatory libel, and Ontario's unsettled online notice rule.
9 min read
Suing for Defamation in Canada: The Common-Law Framework
How defamation works in every Canadian province except Quebec: the three-part common-law test, why falsity and damage are presumed, and each province's own Libel and Slander or Defamation Act.
8 min read
What to Do If You've Been Defamed or Accused in Canada
Practical sequencing for a defamation claim or defence in Canada: notice deadlines, evidence preservation, defences, anti-SLAPP protection, and realistic damages expectations.
8 min read