2019 April 30

Paramount v. Kevin J. Johnston, 2019 ONSC 2910

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice awarded $2.5 million to the plaintiffs for general, aggravated, punitive and special damages.  The Court described the defendant as a self‐styled journalist and the owner of FreedomReport.ca, YouTube channels, Twitter accounts, Facebook accounts and other social media accounts and websites. Although the Court award was not broken down into the separate heads of damages mentioned above, a very substantial component of the award appears to be compensation for loss of a substantial contract overseas. The Court characterized the central defamatory accusation as “about as serious and damaging an allegation as can be made in these times.”