The Ontario Superior Court
has set a new framework for defamation with political bloggers. In a new ruling it says that the context of blogger debates might make it possible to exchange libels without penalty.
The court said the context of the platform, with lots of freewheeling comments in the mix, might mitigate what would otherwise be considered a libel. If someone were expecting a rejoinder, for instance, the first remarks might not be problematic. The case recognized the different dynamic of an Internet debate.
It is more than likely the case will be appealed, but the ruling sets a different tone for the standards of political blogging on message boards in Ontario, Canada's largest jurisdiction and often a precedent-setting place for communications and media. This case is bound to be watched as it moves up in the justice system.
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