Langille et al. v. McGrath, (2001) 243 N.B.R.(2d) 360 (CA)
| Judge | Turnbull, Drapeau and Deschênes, JJ.A. |
| Court | Court of Appeal (New Brunswick) |
| Case Date | September 18, 2001 |
| Jurisdiction | New Brunswick |
| Citations | (2001), 243 N.B.R.(2d) 360 (CA);2001 NBCA 106 |
Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R.(2d) 360 (CA);
243 R.N.-B.(2e) 360; 631 A.P.R. 360
MLB headnote and full text
[French language version follows English language version]
[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]
....................
Temp. Cite: [2001] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. NO.004
Stephen Langille, Jerome Langille and Fundy Bay Holdings Ltd. (plaintiffs/appellants) v. Odette McGrath (defendant/respondent)
(239/00/CA; 2001 NBCA 106)
Indexed As: Langille et al. v. McGrath
New Brunswick Court of Appeal
Turnbull, Drapeau and Deschênes, JJ.A.
November 1, 2001.
Summary:
The plaintiffs sued the defendant for damages for defamation. The defendant counterclaimed for damages for alleged threats.
The New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, Trial Division, in a decision reported 233 N.B.R.(2d) 29; 601 A.P.R. 29, allowed the plaintiffs' action and made a joint award of $500 damages for defamation. The court dismissed the counterclaim. The plaintiffs appealed the damage award, arguing that the award should be increased and that a joint award of general damages for defamation was inappropriate.
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal.
Damage Awards - Topic 632
Torts - Injury to the person - Libel and slander - The defendant and her neighbours wanted the City of Saint John to close a gravel pit in their neighbourhood - The plaintiffs, the operators of the pit, wanted the city to license the pit - During a televised city council meeting, the defendant stated that there were rumours that if she did not watch herself she would be bumped - She also repeated the statement during a televised interview - The plaintiffs sued the defendant for damages for defamation - The trial judge allowed the action and made a joint damages award of $500 - The plaintiffs appealed the award - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the appeal where the award was too low - The award was not even remotely close to awards in other cases and the award was so low that it could be regarded merely as a license fee to continue to defame - The court awarded the two individual plaintiffs $6,000 each and their company $500.
Cases Noticed:
Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto and Manning, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130; 184 N.R. 1; 84 O.A.C. 1; 126 D.L.R.(4th) 129, refd to. [para. 19].
Woelk v. Halvorson, [1980] 2 S.C.R. 430; 33 N.R. 232; 24 A.R. 620, refd to. [para. 23].
Brown v. Cole, [1999] 7 W.W.R. 703; 114 B.C.A.C. 73; 186 W.A.C. 73 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 24].
Baxter v. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and Malling (1979), 28 N.B.R.(2d) 114; 63 A.P.R. 114 (T.D.), refd to. [paras. 13, 26].
Chief Provincial Firearms Officer (B.C.) v. Kexco Publishing Co. et al. (1995), 67 B.C.A.C. 297; 111 W.A.C. 297; 17 B.C.L.R.(3d) 176 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 27].
Newson v. Kexco Publishing Co. - see Chief Provincial Firearms Officer (B.C.) v. Kexco Publishing Co. et al.
Smith v. Noël and Presses Francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick Inc. (1989), 95 N.B.R.(2d) 277; 241 A.P.R. 277 (Q.B.), affirmed on appeal at (1989), 99 N.B.R.(2d) 303; 250 A.P.R. 303 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 29].
MacDonald v. Poirier (1991), 120 N.B.R.(2d) 18; 302 A.P.R. 18 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 29].
Powell v. Seeds (1999), 223 N.B.R.(2d) 84; 572 A.P.R. 84 (T.D.), refd to. [para. 29].
Peters v. Hamilton-Brown, [2000] N.B.R.(2d) (Supp.) No. 4 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 29].
Capitanescu v. Universal Weld Overlays Inc., [1997] 10 W.W.R. 666; 204 A.R. 81, varied (1999) 232 A.R. 334; 195 W.A.C. 334 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 31].
Authors and Works Noticed:
Brown, R.E., The Law of Defamation in Canada (2nd Ed. 1994), p. 536 [para. 15].
Cassels, J., Remedies, The Law of Damages (2000), pp. 281, 285 [para. 18].
Osborne, P.H., The Law of Torts (2000), pp. 368, 369 [para. 21].
Williams, J.S., The Law of Defamation in Canada (1976), p. 136 [para. 15].
Counsel:
Frederick A. Welsford, for the appellants;
William T. Grant, Q.C., for the respondent.
This appeal was heard on September 18, 2001, before Turnbull, Drapeau and Deschênes, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. The following decision was delivered for the court by Deschênes, J.A., on November 1, 2001.
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
Table of cases
...[2000] 1 N.Z.L.R. 257 42 6 Lange v. Australian Broadcasting Corp. (1997), 145 A.L.R. 96 (H.C.A.) 425, 458 Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R. (2d) 360 (C.A) 858 , 859 , 862 Lapointev. Hopital Le Gardeur, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 351 878 Lapointev. Summach, [1999] B.C.J. No. 1459 (B.C.S.C.) 54 1 L......
-
Damages
...to establish a cause of action but has suffered no substantial loss or is unable to prove what that loss is. Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R. (2d) 360 at para. 18 (C.A.), per Deschenes J.A., adopting the following passage from J. Cassels, Remedies: The Law of Damages (Toronto: Irwin L......
-
Barrick Gold Corp. v. Lopehandia et al., (2004) 187 O.A.C. 238 (CA)
...refd to. [para. 23]. Safeway Stores Ltd. v. Harris, [1948] 2 W.W.R. 211 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 24]. Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R.(2d) 360; 631 A.P.R. 360 (C.A.), refd to. [para. Farrell v. St. John's Publishing Co. (1986), 58 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 66; 174 A.P.R. 66 (Nfld. C.A.......
-
101100002 Saskatchewan Ltd. v Saskatoon Co-operative Association Limited,
...that there is no longer a need for such a peg given the wide discretion of the court to award costs: see also Langille v McGrath, 2001 NBCA 106 at para 18, 243 NBR (2d) 360. Further, a plaintiff that is awarded only nominal damages may not be awarded costs in any event: see, for example, Oa......
-
Barrick Gold Corp. v. Lopehandia et al., (2004) 187 O.A.C. 238 (CA)
...refd to. [para. 23]. Safeway Stores Ltd. v. Harris, [1948] 2 W.W.R. 211 (Man. C.A.), refd to. [para. 24]. Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R.(2d) 360; 631 A.P.R. 360 (C.A.), refd to. [para. Farrell v. St. John's Publishing Co. (1986), 58 Nfld. & P.E.I.R. 66; 174 A.P.R. 66 (Nfld. C.A.......
-
101100002 Saskatchewan Ltd. v Saskatoon Co-operative Association Limited,
...that there is no longer a need for such a peg given the wide discretion of the court to award costs: see also Langille v McGrath, 2001 NBCA 106 at para 18, 243 NBR (2d) 360. Further, a plaintiff that is awarded only nominal damages may not be awarded costs in any event: see, for example, Oa......
-
Acumen Law Corporation v. Nguyen, 2018 BCSC 961
...overly sensitive to what had been done and that the action should not have been brought: Kelly at para. 196. [28] In Langille v. McGrath, 2001 NBCA 106, the court described the difference between nominal and contemptuous damages at para. As mentioned earlier, the joint award of $500 to all ......
-
Miller v. Anderson (Emil) Maintenance Co. et al., [2014] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1399 (SC)
...damages by the court. Such an award does not vindicate one's reputation; rather, "it adds insult to injury": Langille v. McGrath 2001 NBCA 106 at para. 22, [2001] N.B.J. No. 414 (QL). Acceptance of the offer would entail implicit recognition by the plaintiff that his claim was without merit......
-
Table of cases
...[2000] 1 N.Z.L.R. 257 42 6 Lange v. Australian Broadcasting Corp. (1997), 145 A.L.R. 96 (H.C.A.) 425, 458 Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R. (2d) 360 (C.A) 858 , 859 , 862 Lapointev. Hopital Le Gardeur, [1992] 1 S.C.R. 351 878 Lapointev. Summach, [1999] B.C.J. No. 1459 (B.C.S.C.) 54 1 L......
-
Damages
...to establish a cause of action but has suffered no substantial loss or is unable to prove what that loss is. Langille v. McGrath (2001), 243 N.B.R. (2d) 360 at para. 18 (C.A.), per Deschenes J.A., adopting the following passage from J. Cassels, Remedies: The Law of Damages (Toronto: Irwin L......