Kitakufe v. Oloya, (1998) 67 O.T.C. 315 (GD)

• Judge: Himel, J.
• Court: Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
• Case Date: June 02, 1998
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (1998), 67 O.T.C. 315 (GD)

Kitakufe v. Oloya (1998), 67 O.T.C. 315 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1998] O.T.C. TBEd. JN.101

Dr. John Kitakufe (plaintiff) v. Opiyo Oloya (defendant)

(File No. 97-CV-133151-CM)

Indexed As: Kitakufe v. Oloya

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

Himel, J.

June 18, 1998.

Summary:

The plaintiff doctor sued the defendant reporter for damages for defamation respecting an article published in a Ugandan newspaper and republished on the Internet. The plaintiff was born in Uganda but resided in Canada for 32 years and was now a citizen and practised medicine in Ontario since 1987. The defendant, also born in Uganda, was resident in Canada since 1981 and taught school in Ontario. The defendant brought a motion under s. 106 of the Courts of Justice Act for a stay of the Ontario action on the ground that Uganda was the more convenient forum.

The Ontario Court (General Division) dismissed the motion. The court was neither satisfied that Uganda was the forum of convenience, nor that the defendant established that the plaintiff would not be deprived of a legitimate personal or juridical advantage by staying proceedings in Ontario.

Conflict of Laws - Topic 7601

Torts - Jurisdiction - Forum conveniens - See paragraphs 1 to 16.

Conflict of Laws - Topic 7604

Torts - Jurisdiction - Defamation - See paragraphs 1 to 16.

Cases Noticed:

MacShannon v. Rockware Glass Ltd., [1978] 1 All E.R. 625 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 6].

Galtaco Redco. Castings Corp. et al. v. Brunswick Industrial Supply Co. (1989), 69 O.R.(2d) 478 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 6].

Bonaventure Systems Inc. et al. v. Royal Bank of Canada et al. (1986), 18 O.A.C. 112; 57 O.R.(2d) 270 (Div. Ct.), refd to. [para. 6].

Morguard Investments Ltd. et al. v. De Savoye, [1990] 3 S.C.R. 1077; 122 N.R. 81; 46 C.P.C.(2d) 2, refd to. [para. 9].

Laurin v. Favot (1996), 45 C.P.C.(3d) 203 (Ont. Gen. Div.), refd to. [para. 9].

Pace et al. v. Synetics Inc. (1983), 41 O.R.(2d) 267 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 10].

Amchem Products Inc. et al. v. Workers' Compensation Board (B.C.), [1993] 1 S.C.R. 897; 150 N.R. 321; 23 B.C.A.C. 1; 39 W.A.C. 1; [1993] 3 W.W.R. 441, refd to. [para. 13].

Counsel:

Osborne Barnwell, for the plaintiff;

Oudit N. Rai, for the defendant.

This motion was heard on June 2, 1998, at Toronto, Ontario, before Himel, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division), whose following oral judgment was released on June 18, 1998.