2018 November 9

Hampton Securities Ltd. v. Dean, 2018 ONCA 901, affirming 2018 ONSC 101

The Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a lower court trial judgment [2018 ONSC 101] which awarded $25,000 general damages and $25,000 punitive damages to the defendant relating to her defamation counterclaim against the plaintiff.  The plaintiff, who appealed the trial verdict, failed to establish a defence of  qualified privilege because the content of his disparaging statements to the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (“IIROC) “clearly exceeded the scope of the duty to report all internal discipline matters or the duty to warn of potential risks that registered individuals may create.”