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ARTICLE · 06 NOVEMBER 2015

Everything You Need To Know About Ontario's New Anti-SLAPP Law

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On October 28, 2015, the government of Ontario passed the Protection of Public Participation Act, 2015 (PPPA), designed to identify and eliminate strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
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On October 28, 2015, the government of Ontario passed the Protection of Public Participation Act, 2015 (PPPA), designed to identify and eliminate strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). The PPPA is the result of an expert advisory panel's recommendations of 2010. In short, the PPPA provides a fast-track review process to quickly identify and put an end to SLAPPs. But it will take some time for the courts to work out what the PPPA will really mean in practice.

The Genesis of the PPA

Concern about SLAPP suits is nothing new. B.C., Quebec, and a variety of states in the United States have passed laws to address SLAPP suits, to varying degrees of success. The issue is that SLAPP suits use the court system, not to advance legitimate rights, but rather to punish those who may speak out against matters that are in the public interest.

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