The B.C. Supreme Court awarded $50,000 in damages to climate scientist Andrew Weaver in a ruling Friday that confirms articles published by the National Post defamed hisย character.
The ruling names Terence Corcoran, editor of the Financial Post, Peter Foster, a columnist at the National Post, Kevin Libin, a journalist that contributes to the Financial Post and National Post publisher Gordonย Fisher.
Four articles published in 2009 and 2010 refer to Weaver, now MLA for Canadaโs Green Party, as an โalarmistโ who disseminates โagit-propโ and a โsensationalistโ that โcherry-pickedโ data as โCanadaโs warmest spinner-in-chief.โ Weaver was previously a lead author on a number of the UN‘s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessmentย reports.
In the damages section of the ruling (attached below), Madam Justice Emily Burke notes, โthe defamation in this case was serious. It offended Dr. Weaverโs character and the defendants refused to publish aย retraction.โ
Justice Burke concluded the defendants โhave been careless or indifferent to theย accuracy of the facts,โ adding, โthey were more interested in espousing a particular viewย than assessing the accuracy of theย facts.โ
Weaver told DeSmog Canada heโs โthrilledโ with theย ruling.
โI am absolutely thrilled with today’s B.C. Supreme Court judgment in my libelย case against the National Post, Terence Corcoran, Peter Foster, Kevin Libinย and Gordonย Fisher.โ
Weaver said he initiated the lawsuit in 2010 when the National Post refused to retract the offending articles โthat attributed to me statements I never made, accused me of things I never did, and attacked me for views I neverย held.โ
โI felt I had to take this matter to court to clear my name and correct theย public record. This judgment does preciselyย that.โ
Dr. Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute and member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, said the ruling โis a victory for climate scientistsย everywhere.โ
There is โan extremely long history of efforts by climate deniers and contrarians to attack not just climate science, but climate scientists: to smear their scientific reputations, to distort their statements, and to make false and defamatory accusations,โ Gleick told DeSmogย Canada.
Gleick said defamation โhas been a standard tactic for years, especially as the science of climate change has continued to strengthen andย solidify.โ
The attack on Weaverโs credibility is unfortunately only one of many examples, heย said.
โWhile I’m sure the ruling will not stop the continued assault on climate science and scientists, it should certainly put people on notice that there is a responsibility to avoid such irresponsible attacks and a real cost for failing to do so. I hope this ruling has thatย effect.โ
Weaver said he is looking forward to the defendants โpublishing a complete retraction and removing the offending articles from electronicย databases.โ
The four articles in question, as listed in the court ruling, can be seen below. Three of these articlesย still appear on the National Postโs website at the time ofย publication.
As part of his suit, Weaver also argued the National Post should take responsibility for the articles republished on third-partyย sites.
โI further look forward to them withdrawing consent given to third parties to re-publish the articles and to require them to cease re-publication,โ Weaverย said.
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