Bullying, Canada-Style?
From yesterday's Toronto Star
A stay-at-home mother of three who created a website to alert the government about allegedly dangerous environmental problems in her southwestern Ontario neighbourhood is facing a $2 million libel suit by one of the developers she reported on.
"My kids were at risk and nobody helped me, and I'm worried about other kids too, that's the bottom line," she said in a telephone interview, breaking into tears. "Nobody protected me and now I'm getting sued."
I've looked over the website created by Louisette Lanteigne (now yanked from the internet but still accessible through cached files), and it seems the general contractor, Activa, is hitting her up with a SLAPP Lawsuit.
Ms. Lanteigne explains:
"SLAPP" stands for "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public
Participation". SLAPPs are legal actions (usually
defamation actions) launched for the primary purpose
of shutting down criticism, and without a strong cause
of action. The plaintiff's goal in a SLAPP is not to
win the lawsuit, but is rather to silence a critic by
instilling fear of large legal costs and the spectre
of large damage awards. Despite their right to free
speech, critics may be frightened into silence e.g.,
taking down websites or comments made on line - if
they
are threatened with a defamation-based SLAPP.
Does the lawsuit have merit? That's a matter for the courts to decide, but in the meantime, the contractor risks giving the impression that they're a large corporation throwing their weight around against a hapless homemaker. It will undoubtedly be perceived by many as a case of David v. Goliath.
As an opponent of development run amok, I'm hoping that this lawsuit results in greater public debate about sustainable development, whatever the result.
A stay-at-home mother of three who created a website to alert the government about allegedly dangerous environmental problems in her southwestern Ontario neighbourhood is facing a $2 million libel suit by one of the developers she reported on.
"My kids were at risk and nobody helped me, and I'm worried about other kids too, that's the bottom line," she said in a telephone interview, breaking into tears. "Nobody protected me and now I'm getting sued."
I've looked over the website created by Louisette Lanteigne (now yanked from the internet but still accessible through cached files), and it seems the general contractor, Activa, is hitting her up with a SLAPP Lawsuit.
Ms. Lanteigne explains:
"SLAPP" stands for "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public
Participation". SLAPPs are legal actions (usually
defamation actions) launched for the primary purpose
of shutting down criticism, and without a strong cause
of action. The plaintiff's goal in a SLAPP is not to
win the lawsuit, but is rather to silence a critic by
instilling fear of large legal costs and the spectre
of large damage awards. Despite their right to free
speech, critics may be frightened into silence e.g.,
taking down websites or comments made on line - if
they
are threatened with a defamation-based SLAPP.
Does the lawsuit have merit? That's a matter for the courts to decide, but in the meantime, the contractor risks giving the impression that they're a large corporation throwing their weight around against a hapless homemaker. It will undoubtedly be perceived by many as a case of David v. Goliath.
As an opponent of development run amok, I'm hoping that this lawsuit results in greater public debate about sustainable development, whatever the result.
