Defamation cases

Essay by ubcUniversity, Bachelor's May 2007

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Any statements are considered to be defamation, when they are untrue and damage a person's reputation. In Canada, anything presented by a media outlet is subject to the potential action under the law, which includes news, classified ads, advertisements, comic strips, and even the publication of materials from outside sources. Defamation exists in a variety of media, such as books, newspapers, internet and broadcast. Moreover, Libel, a written form of defamation, attains a person's reputation, which is considered as a form of property. Every person has rights to protect his or her reputation or dignity, thus when one is defamed by a libel case, suing the publisher or person. However, the libel suits are complicated due to lengthy pre-trail processing, extensive preparation for defences, and financial consuming.

Here is the recent libel case launched in Canada. York Professor David Noble claimed that he was defamed by the press release posted on internet by University.

The press release suggested that David Noble was anti-Semitic after he passed out protest pamphlets in 2004. Three years ago, Noble distributed flyers around campus, which made claims that directors and YUF (York University Foundation) members had ties with pro-Israel groups. The pamphlets also claimed that the university was biased and favoured Israeli groups. After the distribution of the flyers, a fax was sent by Hillel of Greater Toronto to the university with their concerns that the flyers insinuated that "Jews control York University." Noble denies this was in the material he distributed. (Millar, 2007)In this case, the statement refers to not a class but an identifiable individual, David Noble, and it is harmful to Noble, so Noble can sue for libel. According to Alex Bilyk, director of media relations at York, the university does not comment on cases currently before the courts.

"We normally...