Supreme Court affirms "responsible communication" defense to defamation

| December 22, 2009
The Supreme Court in Grant v. Torstar has held that "responsible communications" by journalists, bloggers, and others who  disseminate matters of public interest will qualify as a defense to a defamation action.  To make out the defense, a publisher must show that the publication was on a matter of public interest and that the publisher was diligent in ensuring the veracity of the publication.