Wang v. British Columbia Medical Association et al.,

• Jurisdiction: British Columbia
• Judge: Donald, Newbury and Garson, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (British Columbia)
• Citation: 2014 BCCA 162,(2014), 354 B.C.A.C. 188 (CA)
• Date: 30 April 2014

Wang v. Medical Assoc. (2014), 354 B.C.A.C. 188 (CA);

    605 W.A.C. 188

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [2014] B.C.A.C. TBEd. MY.001

Caroline Wang (appellant/plaintiff) v. British Columbia Medical Association (Canadian Medical Association - B.C. Division), Geoffrey Marsden Appleton, Mark David Schonfeld (respondents/defendants) and Brian David Brodie, William (Bill) John Riddell Cavers, Bradley Allen Fritz, Michael John Golbey, Nasir Mohamed Jetha, Margaret Ann MacDiarmid, John William (Bill) Mackie, Robin David Saunders, Geraldine Vance, Carole Lynn Williams, Michael Morris Turner and Barry John Turchen (defendants)

(CA040745; 2014 BCCA 162)

Indexed As: Wang v. British Columbia Medical Association et al.

British Columbia Court of Appeal

Donald, Newbury and Garson, JJ.A.

April 30, 2014.

Summary:

The plaintiff, a 10 year Board member of the B.C. Medical Association, was critical of its openness and transparency in its decision-making process. Other Board members were concerned with (1) the plaintiff revealing discussions of the Board and its Executive with like-minded Association members, an alleged violation of the Board's Code of Conduct, and (2) the plaintiff's refusal to recognize the authority of the Chair of the Board. The Board passed a resolution referring a complaint against the plaintiff to a "Code of Conduct" committee. Notice of the complaint was sent to all Association members. The plaintiff sued the Association and others for defamation.

The British Columbia Supreme Court, in a judgment reported [2013] B.C.T.C. Uned. 394, dismissed the action. Although the letter notice was defamatory, it was protected on the basis that the communication occurred on an occasion of qualified privilege. There was no malice. The plaintiff appealed respecting qualified privilege.

The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2983

Defences - Qualified privilege - When available - See paragraphs 54 to 61, 68 to 101.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2988.1

Defences - Qualified privilege - Loss of - Where limits of privilege exceeded - See paragraphs 54 to 61, 68 to 101.

Cases Noticed:

Douglas v. Tucker, [1952] 1 S.C.R. 275, refd to. [para. 8].

Banks v. The Globe & Mail Ltd., [1961] S.C.R. 474, refd to. [para. 8].

Ross v. Lamport, [1956] S.C.R. 366, refd to. [para. 8].

Rubin v. Ross et al. (2013), 409 Sask.R. 202; 568 W.A.C. 202; 2013 SKCA 21, refd to. [para. 8].

Wilson et al. v. Switlo et al., [2011] B.C.T.C. Uned. 1287; 2011 BCSC 1287, affd. (2013), 346 B.C.A.C. 57; 592 W.A.C. 57; 2013 BCCA 471, refd to. [paras. 8, 52].

Housen v. Nikolaisen et al. (2002), 286 N.R. 1; 219 Sask.R. 1; 272 W.A.C. 1; 2002 SCC 33, refd to. [para. 8].

Botiuk v. Bardyn et al., [1995] 3 S.C.R. 3; 186 N.R. 1; 85 O.A.C. 81, refd to. [para. 54].

Botiuk v. Toronto Free Press Publications Ltd. - see Botiuk v. Bardyn et al.

De Buse v. McCarthy, [1942] 1 K.B. 156 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 56].

Kearns v. General Council of the Bar, [2003] 1 W.L.R. 1357; [2003] EWCA Civ. 331 (Eng. C.A.), refd to. [para. 57].

Smith v. Cross (2009), 278 B.C.A.C. 262; 471 W.A.C. 262; 2009 BCCA 529, refd to. [para. 62].

Adam v. Ward, [1917] A.C. 309 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 68].

Toogood v. Spyring (1834), 1 C.M. & R. 181; 149 E.R. 1044, refd to. [para. 69].

Grant et al. v. Torstar Corp. et al. (2009), 397 N.R. 1; 258 O.A.C. 285; 2009 SCC 61, refd to. [para. 71].

James v. Baird, [1916] S.C. (H.L.) 158, refd to. [para. 72].

Loutchansky v. Times Newspapers Ltd., [2001] 1 W.L.R. 1592 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 72].

Moises v. Canadian Newspapers Co. (1996), 76 B.C.A.C. 263; 125 W.A.C. 263; 24 B.C.L.R.(3d) 211 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 72].

Bashford v. Information Australia (Newsletters) Pty. Ltd., [2004] HCA 5, refd to. [para. 72].

N R Developments Ltd. et al. v. Thomas (2006), 223 B.C.A.C. 102; 369 W.A.C. 102; 2006 BCCA 99, refd to. [para. 75].

Simpson v. Mair et al. (2006), 228 B.C.A.C. 1; 376 W.A.C. 1; 2006 BCCA 287, revd. (2008), 376 N.R. 80; 256 B.C.A.C. 1; 431 W.A.C. 1; 2008 SCC 40, refd to. [para. 75].

RBC Dominion Securities Inc. v. Merrill Lynch Canada Inc. et al. (2008), 380 N.R. 166; 260 B.C.A.C. 198; 439 W.A.C. 198; 2008 SCC 54, refd to. [para. 76].

C.J. v. J.A.D. (2010), 296 B.C.A.C. 255; 503 W.A.C. 255; 2011 BCCA 6, refd to. [para. 77].

Wells v. Lindop (1887), 13 O.R. 434 (H.C.), refd to. [para. 80].

MacArthur v. Meuser (1997), 27 O.T.C. 308; 146 D.L.R.(4th) 125 (Gen. Div.), affd. (2000), 135 O.A.C. 296; 188 D.L.R.(4th) 191 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 80].

Pressler v. Lethbridge et al. (2000), 144 B.C.A.C. 1; 236 W.A.C. 1; 2000 BCCA 639, refd to. [para. 86].

Blackshaw v. Lord, [1983] 2 All E.R. 311 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 86].

Stuart v. Bell, [1891] 2 Q.B. 341 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 87].

Arnott v. College of Physicians, [1954] S.C.R. 538, refd to. [para. 89].

Harrison v. Bush (1855), 5 E. & B. 344, refd to. [para. 89].

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. 97].

Laughton v. Bishop of Sodor and Man (1872), L.R. 4 P.C. 495, refd to. [para. 99].

Birchwood Homes Ltd. v. Robinson, [2003] EWHC 293 (Q.B.), refd to. [para. 99].

Said v. Butt, [1920] 3 K.B. 497, refd to. [para. 102].

Merit Consultants International Ltd. v. Chandler et al. (2014), 353 B.C.A.C. 199; 603 W.A.C. 199; 2014 BCCA 121, refd to. [para. 102].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Gatley on Libel and Slander (11th Ed. 2008), §§ 13.2(5) [para. 89]; 13.3(2)(a) [para. 93]; 13.6(3)(d)(v) [para. 92]; 14.6 [paras. 69, 89]; 14.7 [para. 89]; 14.9 [para. 72]; 19.2 [para. 75].

McConchie, R.D., and Potts, D.A., Canadian Libel and Slander Actions (2004), pp. 589 to 592 [para. 80].

Mitchell, Paul, Duties, Interests and Motives: Privileged Occasions in Defamation (1998), 18 Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 381, generally [para. 69].

Counsel:

I.G. Nathanson, Q.C., for the appellant;

H. Shapray, Q.C., and B. Cramer, for the respondents.

This appeal was heard on March 11-12, 2014, at Vancouver, B.C., before Donald, Newbury and Garson, JJ.A., of the British Columbia Court of Appeal.

On April 30, 2014, Newbury, J.A., delivered the following judgment for the Court of Appeal.