Canadian Supreme Court Affirms Radio Host's Freedom of Expression

According to nationalpost.com: "Canada's highest court delivered a 9-0 ruling Friday upholding a previous B.C. Supreme Court decision that the right to fair comment protected "shock jock" Rafe Mair's statements in an on-air editorial about Kari Simpson, a well-known public figure whom Mair compared to Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members."

According to Tracey Tyler, the Legal Affairs reporter for thestar.com: "The case turned on the issue of what constitutes "fair comment," a defence frequently used in defamation cases."

Mair's comments were first aired during a broadcast in 1999. He was fired from CKNW in 2003, spend a short time at CKBD until the end of 2005 and then began providing commentary on TV. Mair is also the author of several books.

More: Canadian Radio History

Related: What Is the Difference Between Libel and Slander?