OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) — A Canadian judge has ruled in favor of free speech by tossing a libel lawsuit filed by the Canadian Anti-Hate Network (CAHN) against two journalists who accused the group of having assisted the radical left-wing group Antifa.
Richard Warman, who serves as a board member of the CAHN, claimed in 2019 that Quillette editor Jonathan Kay and columnist Barbara Kay had defamed the CAHN by saying they assisted the “violent Antifa” on social media.
In a ruling late last week, an Ottawa judge decided to drop the suit, and rebuked the CAHN saying that “the evidence disclosed” showed that “CAHN did in fact assist Antifa, and that movement has been violent.”
“The Kays submission, which I accept, is that a human rights network like CAHN arguably (except in the most extreme circumstances) should not support a violent movement, and to do so, to most reasonable overseers, would not be a ‘good look’,” explained the judge.
The judge also noted that while Warman is well known as a “righteous crusader against white supremacy and right-wing racist hate,” he is also a “controversial figure and I accept the evidence of the Kays that he has used litigation to silence or intimidate those he sees as his critics.”
The group CAHN has been known to work with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in the United States, and received money from the Canadian government in 2020 as part of an “inclusion” grant.
The lawyer for the Kays noted, as reported by the Post Millennial, “The Court agreed that the tweets in question by Jonathan Kay and Barbara Kay did not refer to Mr. Warman at all.”
“His Honor also found that the tweets were protected by the defenses of fair comment and justification in any event. Overall, this is an important victory for free expression.”
On Twitter, Jonathan himself also made a statement about the judge’s ruling:
In 2019 I was sued for libel by a director of @antihateca. He claimed @BarbaraRKay & I linked CAHN to “violent antifa.” Judgment released today: Claim dismissed. Judge: (1) CAHN *does* assist antifa; (2) CAHN director has used courts to stifle detractors (tho failed in this case) pic.twitter.com/2mVpwG6k6w
— Jonathan Kay (@jonkay) November 10, 2022
Jonathan noted in further posts that the trial was “surreal,” relaying that “It went for 6 days & featured such bizarre claims as that I was ‘malicious to human rights.'”
Barbara also responded to the judge’s ruling on Twitter:
This started three years ago, almost to the day!! Mills of justice grind slowly and all that, but (not always the case) they also ground fine. Our lawyer @Honickman was magnificent. Can’t praise him highly enough. The judge was great too, & btw I thought that before the judgment. https://t.co/kECIc1gef8
— Barbara Kay (@BarbaraRKay) November 10, 2022
Campaign Life Coalition’s director of political operations, Jack Fonseca, likewise took to social media to celebrate the decision, writing:
Thank God for this wonderful news!
The truth is that @antihateca is itself a hate group against Christians and conservatives.
CAHN is a Liberal Party front group that exists to foment hatred against Justin Trudeau’s political & philosophical opponents. @jonkay @BarbaraRKay
— Jack Fonseca (@JackFonsec) November 10, 2022
This is not the first time the CAHN has been embroiled in controversy.
Earlier this year, CAHN’s chair Bernie Farber was caught spreading false information about the anti-mandate “Freedom Convoy” protest, and has also previously claimed that Canada needs legislation to control the “craziness” of the internet.
Despite this, Farber was appointed to the “expert advisory group on online safety” in late March by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s federal Liberal government.