2018 July 11

Salehabadi-Fouques c. Droit-inc.com limitée,  2018 QCCQ 4939

The Quebec Court (Civil Chamber) dismissed this action as a “poursite-baillon” [equivalent to a SLAPP] pursuant to the Quebec Code de procedure civile, which authorizes a court to summarily dismiss an abusive claim.  The claim concerned an anonymous comment posted on a blog.  The Court held that it expressed the opinions of a reader reflecting his or her evaluation of various people who spoke at a meeting which involved a subject of public interest.   The defendant blog was not liable for permitting the publication of that commentary.  The Court held this lawsuit was an excessive response to a banal, ironic personal opinion published at the conclusion of an article which was not about the plaintiff and in any event, was surrounded by 42 other comments.