2022 September 28

Ata v. Venne, 2022 QCCQ 6435

The Quebec Court (Civil Chamber) awarded the plaintiff $20,000 ($10,000 compensatory damages and $10,000 punitive damages) over a defamatory email sent in August, 2019 to an elite, tightly-knit group of people.  The Court noted the defendant was entitled to report to interested persons the progress of litigation in the Superior Court of Quebec, but concluded the email content was excessive and disproportionate to the occasion.  The fact that the recipients were influential business people in Montreal, coupled with the importance to the plaintiff of his reputation, justified a moderate compensatory award.  Punitive damages were warranted by the need to send a message that the defendant’s deliberate conduct was unacceptable and as a warning to others.