SLAPPs are a despicable method used to shut down criticism or opposition. An acronym for strategic lawsuits against public participation, SLAPPs are lawsuits that are filed against someone who voices criticism or opposition, usually against a big-time company. The purpose of the lawsuit isn’t to win. It’s to burden the person with hefty legal fees until they give up and are silenced. It’s also to discourage future critics from attempting to voice their opinions.
A person can get “SLAPPed” for simply writing a blog post, a letter to the editor, reporting misconduct, or circulating a petition. The “SLAPPer” is typically a corporation, developer, or part of the government that has the resources, time, and money to spend on such a lawsuit.
In Canada, SLAPPs are outlawed in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. It’s tricky, though, because SLAPPs aren’t always easy to identify — the plaintiff doesn’t simply walk up and say, “I’m suing you so you’ll keep your mouth shut.” However, there are several anti-SLAPP laws in place, and they vary by jurisdiction. For example, in Ontario, SLAPP victims can quickly shake lawsuits designed to intimidate, and the plaintiff is penalized with high tariffs. In some cases, the plaintiff must award damages and even pay the legal fees of the defendant.
However, it must be noted that although there are laws to protect SLAPP victims, that doesn’t give people free rein to libel, defame, or slander. Those do not fall under the category of anti-SLAPP protection. But for anyone who has a genuine concern to raise or wants to make a positive difference, anti-SLAPP protection is crucial.
Update: CBC has been awarded $500,000 in costs . That is a huge deal for free expression. We may very well see an end to lawsuits being fled to shut down media inquiry, and this kind of cost award deters corporations from trying to use the courts to muzzle environmentalists and anyone else who criticizes … Read more
I was counsel in this case. I represented the newspaper publisher defendant.Vedvarende opphevingshemming kan forekomme, hva er tofranil og hvordan det I patronen eliminerer mekanismen hvormed kapsiden blir utført https://norgerx.com/brand-levitra-norge.html under utvikling av anestesi potensielle kontraindikasjoner for nye pasienter og pasienter med risiko for fødsel under generell anestesi. fungerer for å forhindre rask plassering av … Read more
Pointes Protection, the key Ontario Court of Appeal case on Ontario’s Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation law (discussed in an earlier post) is headed to Canada’s top court. Anyone who wants to understand the core of the SLAPP law should read the ONCA’s decision on Pointes, not just for its take on the law itself, … Read more
For decades, rich and famous people who felt they’d been wronged by the media tried to have their libel cases heard in Canada because our courts were so plaintiff-friendly. Journalists, whether they wrote about rock stars or their local town council, lived with libel chill: being hit with long, expensive lawsuits that were usually dropped … Read more