In Yates v. Iron Horse Corporation (Ont CA, 2026) the Ontario Court of Appeal allowed a plaintiff's SLAPP appeal, this brought against a refusal by the motion court "to dismiss the respondents’ counterclaim against the appellant for $2.5 million for damages for defamation".
Here the court sets out the purposes of the CJA SLAPP provisions:
[52] It is important to be mindful of the purposes of s. 137.1 of the CJA, listed in subsection (1). They are to: (a) encourage individuals to express themselves on matters of public interest; (b) promote broad participation in debates on matters of public interest; (c) discourage the use of litigation as a means of unduly limiting expression on matters of public interest; and (d) reduce the risk that participation by the public in debates on matters of public interest will be hampered by fear of legal action.
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