Watson and Gallagher v. Southam Inc. et al., (1998) 52 O.T.C. 1 (GD)

• Judge: Crane, J.
• Court: Ontario Court of Justice General Division (Canada)
• Case Date: Monday January 26, 1998
• Jurisdiction: Ontario
• Citations: (1998), 52 O.T.C. 1 (GD)

Watson v. Southam Inc. (1998), 52 O.T.C. 1 (GD)

MLB headnote and full text

Temp. Cite: [1998] O.T.C. TBEd. FE.082

George Watson and John Gallagher (plaintiffs) v. Southam Inc., carrying on business as the publisher and proprietor of the Hamilton Spectator, Ken Peters, Adrian Humphreys, Jim Poling, John G. Doherty, James Halliday, David Wilson, Reg Whynott, Larry Wolfe, David Dunston, Jennifer Roberts, Anne Marie Berryman and Diane Kozlovic-Mros and The Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth (defendants)

(6562/94)

Indexed As: Watson and Gallagher v. Southam Inc. et al.

Ontario Court of Justice

General Division

Crane, J.

January 26, 1998.

Summary:

Three visitors, a city councillor, a former councillor and former staff member attended at a water treatment plant and demanded to see the filter building. The visitors were denied entry, but went into the filter building anyway. Following the incident, statements were made about the incident by several parties which were published in a newspaper. The plaintiffs, two of the visitors, sued the defendants for damages for defamation.

The Ontario Court (General Division) found the defendants Halliday, Wilson and Roberts liable for defamation and the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth vicariously liable for the defamation. The court assessed damages accordingly.

Damage Awards - Topic 632

Torts - Injury to the person - Libel and slander - See paragraphs 198 to 205.

Damage Awards - Topic 2406.1

Aggravated damages - Libel and slander - See paragraphs 180 to 205.

Libel and Slander - Topic 641

The statement - What constitutes defamatory statements - General principles - General - See paragraph 74.

Libel and Slander - Topic 642

The statement - What constitutes defamatory statements - Examples of defamatory words - See paragraphs 74 to 82, 85 to 120.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2041

Publication - Republication - General - See paragraph 121.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2046

Publication - Republication - Liability of original publisher - See paragraphs 121 to 126, 161.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2864

Defences - Justification or truth - Evidence and proof - See paragraphs 44 to 58.

Libel and Slander - Topic 2983

Defences - Qualified privilege - When available - See paragraphs 127 to 169.

Libel and Slander - Topic 3114

Defences - Fair comment - What constitutes fair comment - See paragraphs 170 to 176.

Libel and Slander - Topic 4428

Damages - General damages - Measure of - Aggravated damages - See paragraphs 180 to 193.

Cases Noticed:

Botiuk v. Bardyn et al., [1995] 3 S.C.R. 3; 186 N.R. 1; 85 O.A.C. 81; 126 D.L.R.(4th) 609, refd to. [para. 74].

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

Stopforth v. Goyer (1979), 97 D.L.R.(3d) 369 (Ont. C.A.), refd to. [para. 129].

Horrocks v. Lowe, [1974] 1 All E.R. 662 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 132].

Jones v. Bennett (1969), 66 W.W.R.(N.S.) 419 (S.C.C.), refd to. [para. 136].

Adam v. Ward, [1917] A.C. 309 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 137].

Neville v. Fine Arts and General Insurance Co., [1895] 2 Q.B. 156 (C.A.), refd to. [para. 138].

Anns v. Merton London Borough Council, [1978] A.C. 728; [1977] 2 W.L.R. 1024; [1977] 2 All E.R. 492 (H.L.), refd to. [para. 179].

Manning v. Hill, [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130; 184 N.R. 1; 84 O.A.C. 1; 126 D.L.R.(4th) 129, refd to. [para. 190].

Authors and Works Noticed:

Brown, Raymond E., The Law of Defamation in Canada, vol. 1, pp. 591 [para. 137]; 669, 670 [para. 171]; 677 [para. 174].

Gatley, Libel and Slander, paras. 261 [para. 121]; 266, 267, 270 [para. 122]; 441 [para. 127]; 592, 593 [para. 190].

Counsel:

M. Zega, for the plaintiffs;

G. Sheppard, for the defendants, Halliday, Wilson, Whynott, Wolfe, Dunston, Roberts, Berryman and Kozlovic-Mros;

D. Potts and G. Kuzyk, for the defendant, The Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth.

This action was heard on June 30, July 2 to 4, 7 to 11, September 15, 16 and 17, October 22, 23 and 24, 1997, before Crane, J., of the Ontario Court (General Division), who released the following decision on January 26, 1998.