2020 June 3

The College of Pharmacists of Manitoba v. Jorgenson, 2020 MBQB 88

The Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench granted summary judgment to the plaintiff for damages aggregating $150,0000 ($50,000 general damages; $50,000 aggravated damages; and $50,000 punitive damages).  The plaintiff had obtained an interim injunction precisely a year earlier on June 3, 2019 [2019 MBQB 87) on the basis of the defendant’s admissions that he had published defamatory statements about various members and employees of the College “by way of postings on social media and emails that have been sent to politicians at all levels of government including the Prime Minister’s office, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (the ‘RCMP’) and numerous media outlets.”  The Court noted that the defendant “published the defamation repeatedly, failed to retract it, insisted he has a defence to the claim, and made no apology for his actions.”  “These damage awards relate to both the College’s claims in defamation and in nuisance.”