Law professor Joanne St. Lewis defamation lawsuit against Denis Rancourt
Statement of Claim filed on June 23, 2011
EN FRANCAIS: ICI.
NEW -- Recent summary of lawsuit "IN A NUTSHELL": HERE.
NEW -- How to find the courtroom number to attend a Court hearing in Ottawa: HERE.
BACKGROUND AND LATEST: All U of O Watch blog posts in the matter are HERE.
Follow media reports HERE.
Law Times article about the case HERE.
NEW -- Donate to the Denis Rancourt Legal Fund, HERE.
KEY DOCUMENTS:
2008 Student Appeal Centre report about systemic racism at U of O: HERE.
2008 St. Lewis evaluation report of student report: HERE.
Access to information documents of St. Lewis and U of O communications: HERE (click "PDF" in left column).
chronological list of public record Court documents:
2011-06-23::: SOC -- St. Lewis Statement of Claim, HERE. (Alternate LINK)
2011-07-12::: Ontario Superior Court of Justice - Notice of Requirement to Mediate, HERE.
2011-07-22::: SOD -- Rancourt Statement of Defence, HERE.
2011-08-05::: Reply -- St. Lewis Reply to Statement of Defence, HERE.
2011-08-18::: Motion-1 -- St. Lewis Motion to force mandatory mediation and choice of mediator before discovery of documents, HERE.
2011-08-29::: Motion-1 -- Rancourt's Responding Party Motion Record (with Factum), PART-1of4, PART-2of4, PART-3of4, PART4of4.
2011-09-23::: Motion-2 -- St. Lewis Motion to compel answers on cross-examinations on affidavits on first-Motion, PART-1of4, PART-2of4, PART-3of4, PART4of4.
2011-09-30::: Motion-2 -- Rancourt's Responding Party Motion Record: Part-1 (Affidavit, Transcripts of cross-examinations), Part-2 (FACTUM).
2011-10-04::: Motion-3 -- St. Lewis Motion to strike Rancourt's Notice of Examination for discovery, Plaintiff's Motion Record.
2011-10-06::: Motion-2 -- Court's Decision on Motion to compel answers: Decision by Master Calum MacLeod.
2011-10-06::: Motion-2 -- Court's Order and submissions in Motion to compel answers: Dearden to Master Oct.11th, Rancourt to Master Oct.13th, Dearden to Master Oct.13th, Dearden to Master Oct.13th again, Master MacLeod's Order Oct.17th.
2011-10-07::: Motion-1 and Motion-3 -- Court hearings (two motions) before Judge McKinnon. Transcript of Court hearing: HERE-1of2, HERE-2of2. Judge's Endorsements (decisions): Motion-1, Motion-3.
2011-10-21::: Motion-4 -- St. Lewis motion to compel answer for amount of money in Rancourt's personal chequing bank account: HERE.
2011-10-23::: Motion-1 -- Offer to Settle motion (accepted). Report HERE.
2011-10-24::: Complaint to Court -- Rules of Procedure -- Rancourt to Regional Senior Judge: HERE.
2011-10-25::: University of Ottawa admits to funding the lawsuit. Report HERE.
2011-10-28::: Complaint to Court -- Rules of procedure -- Judge Beaudoin to Rancourt: HERE.
2011-12-06::: Mandatory Mediation held -- No issues were settled. Report HERE.
2011-12-06::: Motion-5 -- St. Lewis Motion to put process under case management and to set date for Summary Judgement hearing: HERE. Report HERE.
2012-01-05::: Motion-6 -- Rancourt Notice of Motion to dismiss action for abuse of process (champerty): HERE.
2012-01-16::: Motion-6 -- Rancourt's supporting affidavit for his Notice of Motion (champerty): HERE.
2012-01-20::: Motion-5 -- Rancourt's Responding Motion Record to St. Lewis Motion for case management and to set summary judgement schedule: HERE.
2012-01-26::: Motion-5 -- Hearing held before Master C. MacLeod, Gowlings lawyers awarded $300., Endorsement (Decision): HERE. Court Transcript of hearing: HERE-Part-1of2-Motion-Hearing.
2012-01-26::: First Case Conference under Case management held before Master C. MacLeod, Bilingual proceedings issue argued, Endorsement At Case Conference: HERE. Court Transcript of hearing: HERE-Part-2of2-Case-Conference-Hearing.
2012-02-01::: Motion-7 -- University of Ottawa Motion to Intervene (in "champerty motion"): HERE-MR, HERE-Factum.
2012-02-03::: St. Lewis Costs Thrown Away Submission to Case Management Judge Beaudoin: HERE.
2012-02-06::: Motion-8 -- Rancourt's Notice of Motion served, open court motion for out-of-court examinations: HERE-NOM.
2012-02-08::: Second Case Conference -- held before Judge Beaudoin, Endorsement at Case Conference: HERE, en-francais.
2012-02-08::: Second Case Conference -- held before Judge Beaudoin, Transcript of the Case Conference hearing: HERE-Transcript.
2012-02-13::: Rancourt's Summons to examine University of Ottawa Chair of the Board of Governors Robert Giroux: HERE.
2012-02-16::: Motion-9 -- Rancourt's Motion for Leave to Appeal Judge Beaudoin's decision to dismiss Rancourt's open court motion: HERE-part-1, HERE-part-2, HERE-part-3.
2012-02-20::: Motion-10 -- Rancourt's Motion for Stay Pending Appeal, to postpone cross-examinations pending open court motion: HERE-part-1, HERE-part-2.
2012-02-21::: Motion-6 -- University of Ottawa affidavits of lawyer Celine Delorme and president Allan Rock: HERE-part-1, HERE-part-2.
2012-02-21::: Motion-6 -- Plaintiff's affidavits of assistant professor Joanne St. Lewis and dean of faculty of common law Bruce Feldthusen: HERE-St-Lewis, HERE-Feldthusen.
2012-03-19::: Motion-9 -- Rancourt's Factum for the Motion for Leave to Appeal the Case Conference decision on the open court motion: HERE-Factum.
2012-03-21::: Discovery -- Plaintiff's request to Court for an Order regarding Defendant's discovery disclosures, HERE-letter-to-Court.
2012-03-22::: Motion-9 -- Plaintiff's lawyer's Factum (Richard Dearden): HERE-Factum.
2012-03-22::: Motion-9 -- University's lawyer's Motion Record and Factum (Peter Doody): HERE-Motion-Record, HERE-Factum.
2012-03-22::: Motion-9 -- Intervener Joseph Hickey's Motion Record and Factum filed: HERE-Motion-Record, HERE-Factum. And Hickey's report: HERE.
2012-03-28::: Motion-9-int -- Joseph Hickey's motion to intervene in Motion-9 heard at 10am; Hickey's motion was denied. Hickey's reports are: HERE, HERE.
2012-03-28::: Motion-9 -- Hearing of Rancourt's Motion for Leave to Appeal, 2pm, Elgin Street Court House, Ottawa, Room #20.
2012-03-28::: Third Case Conference (April 2, 2012) -- Plaintiff's case conference brief, HERE-letter-to-Court.
2012-03-29::: Motion-9 -- Decision: Motion dismissed, reasons to follow, Judge Robert Smith endorsement, HERE-endorsement.
2012-03-29::: Motion-9 -- Plaintiff and U of O joint request to motion-9-Judge to receive cost submissions before judge releases his Reasons for Decision: HERE-letter-to-Court.
2012-03-29::: Third Case Conference (April 2, 2012) -- U of O's case conference position, HERE-letter-to-Court.
2012-03-30::: Third Case Conference (April 2, 2012) -- Rancourt's Case Conference Brief filed and served: HERE-letter.
2012-04-02::: Third Case Conference -- to be held before Justice Beaudoin, 9:00AM, Ottawa Court House.
2012-04-18::: Motion-6 -- Transcript of cross-examination of BOG Chair Robert Giroux by Defendant: HERE-Transcript-Giroux.
2012-04-18::: Motion-6 -- Transcript of cross-examination of U of O President Allan Rock by Defendant: HERE-Transcript-Rock.
2012-04-23::: Motion-6 -- Defendant's Supplementary Affidavit in support of his "champerty motion" served, HERE-Affidavit.
2012-04-23::: Motion-6 -- Transcript of cross-examination of Plaintiff Joanne St. Lewis by Defendant: HERE-Transcript-St-Lewis, HERE-Exhibits-at-Cross-Exam.
2012-04-23::: Motion-6 -- Transcript of cross-examination of Dean of common law faculty Bruce Feldthusen by Defendant: HERE-Transcript-Feldthusen.
2012-04-24::: Motion-6 -- Transcript of cross-examination of U of O's hired lawyer Celine Delorme by Defendant: HERE-Transcript-Delorme, HERE-Exhibits-at-Cross-Exam.
2012-04-30::: Defendant's submissions for "Costs Thrown Away - Bilingual proceeding of case conference", part-1=Submission, part-2=Transcript-2012-01-26-Motion, part-3=Transcript-2012-01-26-Case-Conference.
2012-04-30::: Defendant's submissions for "Costs Thrown Away - Emails about document translation", HERE-Submission.
2012-05-09::: Motion-9 -- Justice Robert Smith's REASONS FOR DECISION in dismissing Rancourt's Leave to Appeal request for Open Court motion, HERE-Reasons, ICI-en-francais. On official CanLII web site: CanLII-English, CanLII-Francais.
2012-05-11::: Motion-9 -- Plaintiff's COSTS Submission, HERE.
2012-05-17::: Motion-9 -- University of Ottawa's COSTS Submission, HERE.
2012-05-22::: Motion-9 -- Defendant's (Rancourt's) COSTS Submission, HERE.
2012-05-23::: Motion-9 -- Plaintiff's COSTS Reply, HERE.
2012-06-06::: Motion-9 -- Justice Robert Smith's Decision Regarding Costs (against Rancourt), HERE-CanLII.
2012-06-06::: Motion-9 -- Justice Robert Smith's Decision Regarding Costs, against student blogger Joseph Hickey in Hickey's motion to intervene in Rancourt's Motion for Leave to Appeal not allowing Rancourt's Open Court motion to have public cross-examination, HERE-CanLII.
2012-06-11::: Motion-11 -- Rancourt's Refusals Motion in Rancourt's Champerty Motion, filed and served:
2012-06-20::: Motion-11 -- Hearing of Rancourt's Refusals Motion for Rancourt's "Champerty" Motion, 10am, Elgin Street Court House, Ottawa, Room 51. The motion was not finished and was scheduled to continue on July 24, 2012. Transcript-French-HERE.
2012-07-24::: Discovery, Motion-11 -- Hearing of the refusals motions of both parties (following the Examinations for Discovery), 10am, Elgin Street Court House, Ottawa, Room 35. Before the continued Motion-6 hearing started, Rancourt requested an adjournment to prepare a motion to request that the judge recuse himself for reasonable apprehension of bias. The judge recused himself and the day's hearings were adjourned, HERE-Court-Transcript, HERE-April24-2012-Ottawa-Citizen-article.
2012-07-24::: Letter to Regional Senior Justice Hackland -- Plaintiff St. Lewis writes to Hackland, HERE-Letter-1of3, HERE-Letter-2of3, HERE-Letter-3of3.
2012-07-25::: Letter to Regional Senior Justice Hackland -- Plaintiff St. Lewis writes to Hackland, HERE-Letter.
2012-07-25::: Letter to Regional Senior Justice Hackland -- Defendant Rancourt writes to Hackland, HERE-Letter.
2012-07-26::: Motion-11 -- 10am, Room 36: The plaintiff called a hearing on short notice at a time when the defendant had advised he had a medical appointment. The hearing proceeded in the absence of the defendant and was adjourned to the next day.
2012-07-26::: Motion for direction -- Rancourt serves and files a motion for directions and to stay proceedings until he can serve and file a Reasonable Apprehension of Bias motion.
2012-07-26::: Motion-11 -- St. Lewis' "Costs Thrown Away Outiline - Attendance at court July 24, 2012".
2012-07-27::: Motion-11 -- 9:30am, Room 35: Rancourt argues his motion for direction but the motion is adjourned. Rancourt then argues that Motion-6 should be adjourned to give him time to file his Reasonable Apprehension of Bias motion. His request for adjournement is denied. The Motion-6 hearing continues. The motion does not finish but is ordered continued in writing. Justice Robert Smith has been assigned as the new case management judge.
2012-07-30::: RAOB -- Rancourt files a motion for Reasonable Apprehension of Bias (RAOB) to determine whether there was RAOB with Justice Beaudoin. This would imply that all the justice's rulings cannot stand. HERE-NOM, HERE-DGR-Affidavit.
2012-08-02::: Motion-11 -- Justice Robert Beaudoin releases his "Reasons for Decision on Motion" regarding the June 20, 2012 hearing day, Reasons-HERE.
2012-08-03::: Motion-11 -- Rancourt's written "Submissions" in the on-going defendant's refusals motion in the champerty motion.
2012-08-06::: Motion-11 -- St. Lewis' written "Submissions" in the on-going defendant's refusals motion in the champerty motion.
2012-08-08::: LTA-BAOB -- Rancourt files a motion for Leave to Appeal (LTA) decisions on the grounds of reasonable apprehension of bias (RAOB), HERE-NOM, Affidavit-1of2, Affidavit-2of2.
2012-08-10::: Motion-11 -- Rancourt's written "Reply" in the on-going defendant's refusals motion in the champerty motion.
2012-08-13::: Motion-11 -- Rancourt's written response submissions to St. Lewis' "Costs Thrown Away Outiline - Attendance at court July 24, 2012".
2012-08-13::: Motion - Stay-Pending-LTA -- Rancourt files a motion for stay pending leave to appeal, HERE-NOM.
Many more documents filed (to be added soon)...
2012-10-30::: Motions 20, 22 -- Motion hearings held, Full day in Court. Motion of defendant's witness Mireille Gervais to intervene in the motion to compel her to answer questions to test her credibility - Motion denied. Followed by plaintiff's motion to compel witness to answer questions testing her credibility - Motion on-going by written submissions.
2012-11-15::: Motions 18, 17, 16, 21 -- Motion hearing scheduled, 10am, Elgin Street Courthouse. Several Rancourt motions for leave to appeal and for stay pending leave to appeal, including grounds of reasonable apprehension of bias.
2012-11-26::: Motions 12, 13 -- Refusals motions in discovery, scheduled to be heard, 10am, Elgin Street Courthouse.
2012-12-13::: Motion-6 -- Motion hearing scheduled, Hearing of Rancourt's "Champerty" motion to stay or dismiss the action for abuse of process, 10am, Elgin Street Court House, Ottawa, Room TBA.
2013-01-07::: Rancourt's Application for Leave to Appeal filed to the Supreme Court of Canada, to appeal from the November 29, 2012 decision of Justice Peter Annis to not grant an appeal regarding the defendant's complaints about reasonable apprehension of bias. Full-Application-SCC.
2013-01-14 to 2013-01-25::: Letters to and from the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada::: 2013-01-10-Dearden-to-Registrar, 2013-01-14-Rancourt-to-Registrar, 2013-01-14-Doody-to-Registrar, 2013-01-15-Dearden-to-Registrar, 2013-01-15-Rancourt-to-Registrar, 2013-01-25-Registrar-to-Rancourt.
2013-02-13::: Motion to a Judge, filed to the Supreme Court of Canada, motion to set aside Registrar's January 25, 2013 order. Full-Motion-SCC.
2013-02-14::: Letter of St. Lewis via Richard Dearden to SCC Registrar, asking that Registrar "not accept" Rancourt's Motion to a Judge. 2013-02-14-Dearden-to-Registrar.
2013-02-22::: Letter of U of O via Peter Doody to SCC Registrar, echoing Dearden's request to "not accept" Rancourt's Motion to a Judge. 2013-02-22-Doody-to-Registrar.
2013-02-22::: Letter of SCC Registrar Roger Bilodeau to Rancourt, not accepting Motion to a Judge for filing. 2012-02-22-Registrar-to-Rancourt.
2013-03-04::: Ontario Civil Liberties Association's letter to the Chief Justice of Canada, about SCC Registrar's conduct. LINK. Followed by THIS, and then THIS.
2013-03-06::: RULING of Justice Robert Smith -- Rancourt's refusals motion for discovery. LINK.
2013-03-06::: RULING of Justice Robert Smith -- St. Lewis' refusals motion for discovery. LINK.
2013-03-13::: RULING of Justice Robert Smith -- Rancourt's Champerty motion. LINK.
2013-03-15::: Motion-25 -- Rancourt's motion for leave to appeal the decision for Rancourt's refusals motion in discovery: Notice of Motion.
2013-03-15::: Motion-26 -- Rancourt's motion for leave to appeal the decision for St. Lewis' refusals motion in discovery: Notice of Motion.
2013-04-04::: Rancourt serves and files his motion materials for his motion for leave to appeal the ruling on the Mireille Gervais refusals: Factum.
2013-04-08::: Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada changes his mind, accepts to file Rancourt's Application for leave to appeal: Registrar's letter.
2013-04-09::: Rancourt re-files his Application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
2013-04-11::: Supreme Court of Canada Registry letter to Rancourt -- Materials filed, File Number assigned: Registry's letter.
2013-04-12::: Rancourt serves and files a Notice of Appeal to the Court of Appeal for Ontario, to appeal the decision in the champerty motion: Notice of Appeal.
