2017 January 27

Veneruzzo v. Story, 2017 ONSC 683

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed a defence application to dismiss a defamation claim over Facebook posts pursuant to Ontario’s new anti-SLAPP law found in section 137.1(3) of the Courts of Justice Act, RSO 1990, c. C-43. The Court held that the subject matter of the Facebook posts were not a “matter of public interest” although they may have “interested the public.” The posts “did not affect the welfare of the public … or assist the public to better understand and make decisions on issues in which they had a stake.” The Court also noted the Facebook posts, which were generally accessible, were highly personal comments about private individuals, not public figures.