Caron v. A. et al., (2015) 367 B.C.A.C. 163 (CA)

• Judge: Garson, MacKenzie and Savage, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Case Date: January 06, 2015
• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Citations: (2015), 367 B.C.A.C. 163 (CA);2015 BCCA 47

Caron v. A. (2015), 367 B.C.A.C. 163 (CA);

    631 W.A.C. 163

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2015] B.C.A.C. TBEd. FE.016

Simon Caron (respondent/plaintiff) v. A., an infant by her Litigation Guardian, The Public Guardian and Trustee, and Diane Reimer (appellants/defendants)

(CA042034; 2015 BCCA 47)

Indexed As: Caron v. A. et al.

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Garson, MacKenzie and Savage, JJ.A.

February 11, 2015.

Summary:

A. complained to the R.C.M.P. that Caron had raped her. Caron was later exonerated. He sued A., claiming damages for defamation. A. applied for summary judgment on the grounds that it was plain and obvious the defamation claim could not succeed because the statement alleged to be defamatory was protected by absolute privilege and the remainder of the pleadings disclosed no reasonable cause of action.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal, in a decision reported at [2014] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1351, rejected A.'s argument that absolute privilege applied, and therefore refused to strike the paragraphs in the pleadings that referred to the statement to the R.C.M.P. The court struck the remainder of the pleadings as disclosing no reasonable cause of action. A. appealed.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal. Statements made to police prior to the commencement of judicial proceedings were protected by qualified, not absolute, privilege.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2921

Defences - Absolute privilege - General - See paragraphs 14 to 46.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2928

Defences - Absolute privilege - Judicial, quasi-judicial or legal proceedings (incl. statements, pleadings, etc.) - See paragraphs 14 to 55.

Libel and Slander - Topic 6128

Practice - Pleadings - Statement of claim - Defamation - See paragraphs 56 to 60.

Cases Noticed:

Hung v. Gardiner et al. (2003), 184 B.C.A.C. 4; 302 W.A.C. 4; 2003 BCCA 257, dist. [para. 8].

Schut v. Magee et al. (2003), 184 B.C.A.C. 317; 302 W.A.C. 317; 2003 BCCA 417, dist. [para. 8].

Rajkhowa v. Watson (1998), 167 N.S.R.(2d) 108; 502 A.P.R. 108 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 9].

Pressler v. Lethbridge et al. (2000), 144 B.C.A.C. 1; 236 W.A.C. 1; 86 B.C.L.R.(3d) 257 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 15].

Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto and Manning, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130; 184 N.R. 1; 84 O.A.C. 1, refd to. [para. 15].

Elliott v. Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau et al. (2005), 236 N.S.R.(2d) 104; 749 A.P.R. 104; 2005 NSCA 115, refd to. [para. 16].

Sussman v. Eales et al. (1985), 33 C.C.L.T. 156 (Ont. H.C.), revd. in part (1986), 25 C.P.C.(2d) 7 (Ont. C.A.), dist. [para. 19].

Hanisch v. Canada et al., [2003] B.C.T.C. 1000; 2003 BCSC 1000, refd to. [para. 31].

McDaniel v. McDaniel (2009), 266 B.C.A.C. 163; 449 W.A.C. 163; 2009 BCCA 53, refd to. [para. 31].

Popat v. MacLennan et al., [2014] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1601; 2014 BCSC 1601, refd to. [para. 34].

Kazas v. Peterson, [1992] O.J. No. 1666 (Gen. Div.), revd. in part [1996] O.J. No. 3229 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 35].

Canada v. Lukasik (1985), 58 A.R. 313; 37 Alta. L.R.(2d) 170 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 35].

Mullins v. Beneteau et al. (1996), 11 O.T.C. 298 (Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 36].

Gittens v. Brown et al., [2003] O.T.C. 661 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 36].

Baker v. T.P. et al., [2004] O.T.C. 1054 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 36].

Starkman v. Canada (Attorney General) et al., [2000] O.T.C. Uned. E44 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 36].

Stuart v. Bell, [1891] 2 Q.B. 341 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 41].

Lightbody v. Gordon (1882), 9 Sess. Cas. R. 934, refd to. [para. 41].

Westcott v. Westcott, [2008] EWCA Civ. 818, refd to. [para. 42].

Lasater v. Vidahl, 2012 Ohio 4918 (9th Dist.), refd to. [para. 44].

Morris v. Harvey Cycle and Camper Inc. (2009), 199 N.E.2d 1049 (Ill. C.A.), refd to. [para. 44].

Ledvina v. Cerasani (2006), 146 P.3d 70 (Ariz. C.A.), refd to. [para. 44].

Dikjstra v. Westerink (1979), 401 A.2d 1118 (N.J. Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 44].

Heggy v. Grutzner (1990), 456 N.W.2d 845 (Wis. C.A.), refd to. [para. 44].

Fridovich v. Fridovich (1992), 598 So.2d 65 (Fla. Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 44].

Pope v. Motel 6 (2005), 121 Nev. 307 (Nev. Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 44].

Teskey v. Toronto Transit Commission, [2003] O.T.C. 1125 (Sup. Ct.), refd to. [para. 50].

Northwest Organics Limited Partnership et al. v. Maguire et al., [2014] B.C.A.C. Uned. 67; 2014 BCCA 454, refd to. [para. 54].

Shannon v. King, [1931] 4 D.L.R. 438 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 58].

Pootlass v. Pootlass (1999), 5 B.C.T.C. 21; 63 B.C.L.R.(3d) 305 (S.C.), refd to. [para. 58].

Wallace v. Lawrence (2002), 203 N.S.R.(2d) 197; 635 A.P.R. 197 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 58].

Minnes v. Minnes (1962), 39 W.W.R. 112 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 60].

Hunt v. T & N plc et al., [1990] 2 S.C.R. 959; 117 N.R. 321, refd to. [para. 60].

Hunt v. Carey Canada Inc. - see Hunt v. T & N plc et al.

Authors and Works Noticed:

Brown, Raymond E., The Law of Defamation in Canada (1999), para. 12.4(1) [para. 16].

Mullis, Alastair, Parkes, Richard, and Busuttil, Godwin, Gatley on Libel and Slander (12th Ed. 2013), pp. 26.2 to 26.3 [para. 58].

Counsel:

D.W. Burnett, Q.C., and J. Zaitsoff, for the appellants;

The respondent in person.

This appeal was heard on January 6, 2015, at Vancouver, B.C., by Garson, MacKenzie and Savage, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. The following reasons for judgment of the Court of Appeal were delivered by Garson, J.A., on February 11, 2015.