court of appeal for ontario - academicfreedom.ca

jav. 9 2012 l:19PM Iro. 1695 P 2/14
BETWf,ENI
OANNE ST. LEWIS
'.and-
DENIS RANCOURT
CITATION: St. Lewis v. Rancourt.2012 ONSC 251!
COURT FILE NO.: I l-5 I6sT
DATE:2012105toq
ONTARIO
SUPDRIOR COURT OF JUSTICE
Plaintiff
Defendan:
Richard G. Deu'dcn. for the Plaintiff
Denis Rancourt, for the Deferrdant
JNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA Petel K, Doody, fbr the University of Ottawa
R. SMITH.I.
Non Party Participant
REASONS FOR DICISIOI\
IIEARD: March 28.2012
"ll
Derris Rancourt ("Rancourt") is a former professor at the University of Ottawa who
publishes a blog. He is being sued by the plaintiff, Joanne St. Lewis ("St. Lewis"), fot libel for
staternents he made in his blog, criticizing the University of Unawa
12) St. Lewis is also a professor at the Universiiy of Ottawa who plepared a r€port which
concluded that therr was no systcmic racism in the Univcrsity of Ottawa's treatment of visible
mrnority students. Her legal fees for her libel action against Rancourt ale being paid by the
UniversiW of Onawa ("University"), which Rancourt alleges constifute$ champerty,
t3] Rancourl seeks leave to appeal the decision of Beaudoin J,, actrng as a case managemeni
judge, wherein he refused to allow hirn to bring a motion (the open court motion) to allow
members of the public to attcnd the cross-cxaminations on affidavits that were filed in his
champerty motion.
t4] In his oral reasons, Beaudoin J. refirsed to allow Rancourt to bring a motion to permit
members of the public to attend the cross-examinatron on affidavits because he held that tire