2017 October 23

Begon Fawcett c. Colas, 2017 QCCS 4835

The Quebec Superior Court ordered the plaintiffs to pay the female defendant Colas (a plaintiff by counterclaim) moral damages of $40,000 and punitive damages of $15,000 over defamatory accusations made in emails, websites, social media including Facebook, and in communications to the news media, in press releases, submissions to the CRTC, and anonymous news articles.  The co-defendant Castonguay was awarded $10,000 moral damages and $7,500 over the same defamatory accusations.  The plaintiff was also ordered to pay $15,000 jointly to Colas and Castonguay.  The Court noted that defamatory publications on the Internet were essentially indelible.