Grant v. Torstar Corp.
Canada Supreme Court
[2009] 3 S.C.R. 640 (2009)
- Written by Sara Adams, JD
Facts
The Toronto Star newspaper, owned by Torstar Corp. (defendant), published an article written by veteran journalist Bill Schiller about a proposed private golf course that was planned for development on the estate of Peter Grant (plaintiff). The article included criticism from community members about the environmental effects of the development and concerns that Grant was improperly using political influence to ensure that the development would be approved. Schiller reached out to Grant for comment, but Grant declined. Schiller attempted to confirm the charges in the article by other means. Grant sued for libel, and the jury found in favor of Grant. Grant was awarded 1.475 million Canadian dollars in total damages. On appeal, Torstar argued that the case reflected a gap in traditional Canadian libel law because it heavily punished a journalist who attempted to verify his information before publishing on a matter of public interest.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (McLachlin, C.J.)
Concurrence (Abella, J.)
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