{"id":1045,"date":"2022-03-09T14:40:20","date_gmt":"2022-03-09T19:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/?p=1045"},"modified":"2022-03-09T14:43:04","modified_gmt":"2022-03-09T19:43:04","slug":"maxime-bernier-loses-defamation-lawsuit-against-columnist-warren-kinsella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/09\/maxime-bernier-loses-defamation-lawsuit-against-columnist-warren-kinsella\/","title":{"rendered":"Maxime Bernier loses defamation lawsuit against columnist Warren Kinsella"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/6″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”2\/3″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]In 2018 Maxine Bernier founded the People\u2019s Party of Canada. The PPC with Bernier as its leader ran in the 2019 federal election, winning not a single seat. Maxine was not happy about our client, Warren Kinsella\u2019s commentary about him and his party during the election. He singled out Warren\u2019s commentary as the reason he lost his own riding and brought a defamation action seeking $325,000 in damages.<\/p>\n

Shillers, LLP successfully brought a SLAPP motion and had Bernier\u2019s action dismissed wit<\/em>h costs.[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default”][image_with_animation image_url=”1048″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” img_link_target=”_blank” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default” img_link=”https:\/\/nationalpost.com\/news\/politics\/bernier-loses-defamation-fight-against-columnist-who-called-him-racist”][image_with_animation image_url=”1047″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text]People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier, left, and political pundit Warren Kinsella.<\/span>\u00a0PHOTO BY POSTMEDIA\/FILES<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\n

The judge ruled Bernier had not proved that the harm to his reputation outweighs the importance of protecting freedom of speech on matters of public interest<\/em><\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]OTTAWA \u2014 Maxime Bernier has lost his defamation fight against a controversial columnist who repeatedly portrayed the People\u2019s Party of Canada leader as racist, misogynist and anti-Semitic during the run-up to the 2019 federal election.<\/p>\n

His defamation suit against political strategist and pundit Warren Kinsella was tossed out of Ontario Superior Court on Wednesday.Bernier had argued that his reputation was damaged by Kinsella, whom he accused of acting with malice on behalf of Conservative party operatives who had hired Kinsella\u2019s company, Daisy Consulting Group, to dig up dirt on the fledgling People\u2019s Party.But while he said some of Kinsella\u2019s publications on social media and in mainstream newspapers were clearly defamatory, Justice Calum MacLeod ruled that Bernier had not proved that the harm to his reputation outweighs the importance of protecting freedom of speech on matters of public interest.Ontario has adopted legislation meant to discourage so-called SLAPP suits \u2014 strategic lawsuits against public participation \u2014 that aim to limit freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

Under that legislation, a plaintiff must prove that the harm to his or her reputation is such that the public interest in proceeding with a defamation lawsuit outweighs the public interest in protecting free speech. If that onus is not met, the suit must be dismissed.<\/p>\n

In a written statement, Kinsella welcomed the \u201cimportant\u201d ruling.\u201cBernier and his People\u2019s Party have lost yet again,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were always confident the court would dismiss Bernier\u2019s action, which was a clumsy attempt to silence dissent and legitimate criticism.\u201dThe lawyer for Kinsella and the Daisy Group, David Shiller, called the ruling a victory for \u201cjournalists, writers and bloggers.\u201d\u201cIt means that those seeking high public office, like Bernier was, cannot use the laws of defamation to try to silence and punish their critics.\u201dShiller said his clients would be seeking compensation for their legal costs.Kinsella has separately filed a libel notice against Bernier and the People\u2019s Party for alleging that he committed perjury.During the election campaign earlier this fall, Bernier attracted large crowds with his opposition to vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19. His supporters were prominent among the angry, profanity-spewing protesters who dogged Prime Justin Trudeau\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n

Experts who follow hate groups have said the anti-vaccination fringe has been infiltrated and exploited by white supremacists.<\/p>\n

National Post<\/a> – Read the rest of the article<\/p>\n

Maxime Bernier loses defamation lawsuit against columnist Warren Kinsella<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/6″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2018 Maxine Bernier founded the People\u2019s Party of Canada. The PPC with Bernier as its leader ran in the 2019 federal election, winning not a single seat. Maxine was not happy about our client, Warren Kinsella\u2019s commentary about him and his party during the election. He singled out Warren\u2019s commentary as the reason he lost his own riding and brought a defamation action seeking $325,000 in damages. Shillers, LLP successfully brought a SLAPP motion and had Bernier\u2019s action dismissed with costs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1047,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1045","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-media"},"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Peoples-Party-of-Canada-Leader-Maxime-Bernier-left-and-political-pundit-Warren-Kinsella-PHOTO-BY-POSTMEDIA_FILES.png","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1045"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1059,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1045\/revisions\/1059"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1047"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shillers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}