The Supreme Court of Canada refused on Thursday to hear a request made by Radio-Canada and journalist Alain Gravel regarding the verdict made in a defamation lawsuit brought after the broadcast of a report of the latter for in the program Investigation.
Therefore, Radio-Canada will have to pay $ 60,000 in damages to real estate developer Lee Lalli, who won his case in the Quebec Court of Appeal in October 2021, after the first judgment against him in the Superior Court of Quebec. , September 10, 2018.
In 2021, Judge Jocelyn Rancourt of the Quebec Court of Appeal agreed with Mr. Lalli’s arguments, considering that the report was entitled Mafia land minebroadcast on March 7, 2013, its wrong link to the mafia, contains inaccuracies and violates journalism standards.
In my opinion, the judge erred in disregarding the principles applicable to defamation when the author of the disputed statements was a journalist.he wrote in his judgment.
In the report, journalist Alain Gravel was interested in real estate transactions surrounding a piece of land acquired by Mr. Lalli in 2003, then resold. He is also interested in his links to some well-known mafia figures and these profits will allow him to reap.
Every year, about 600 applications for leave are made to the Supreme Court, but only about 80 are heard.
Radio CanadaGerald Fillion
Source: Radio-Canada
