Defamation in Small Claims Court

A practical, ethics-focused overview of how to assess, plead, defend, and strategically manage defamation claims in Ontario’s Small Claims Court.

Included with our Passes – Learn more

Caryma Sa’d

June 18, 2026 at 10:00am EST

$90

3 hours

Attend Live Online and On-Demand Recording

Summary

This course provides a practical and in-depth examination of defamation law in the context of Ontario’s Small Claims Court, with a focus on both litigation strategy and ethical decision-making. Participants will explore the legal elements of defamation, assess when a claim is viable, and examine procedural considerations such as notice requirements, pleadings, defences, motions, and trial preparation. The course also addresses the strategic choice of Small Claims Court as a forum, including remedies, Anti-SLAPP considerations, and risk assessment. Special emphasis is placed on ethical obligations under the LSO Rules of Professional Conduct, as well as the reputational and media-related consequences that often arise in defamation matters, equipping practitioners to advise clients thoughtfully and responsibly.

What You'll Learn

Includes:

$90

CPD Credits

For Lawyers and Paralegals

Substantive Hours: This program is eligible for up to 3 hours including 30 minutes professionalism

Course Outline

  • Assessing merits of case
  • Applicability of Libel and Slander Act
  • Notice Requirements

  • Anti-SLAPP motions
  • Injunctive relief
  • Monetary damages

  • Plaintiff’s Claim
  • Defence
  • Defendant’s Claim

  • Denial of defamatory sense
  • Justification
  • Fair comment
  • Qualified privilege
  • Responsible communication
  • Innocent dissemination

  • Filing and serving
  • Settlement conference
  • Motions

  • Competence (LSO Rule 3.1)
  • Duty not to advance non-meritorious cases (LSO Rule 3.2-2)
  • Duty of candour to client (LSO Rule 3.2-2)
  • Respect for the administration of justice (LSO Rule 5.6-1)
  • Special responsibility (LSO Rule 6.3.1-1)

  • The “Streisand Effect”
  • Media and public narrative considerations
  • Advising clients on non-legal consequences
  • Strategic decision-making tools
  • Pre-litigation checklist
  • Decision trees
  • Ethical boundaries in media-aware advocacy

Passes

This course is included in the following passes:

Annual Membership

$800

Fulfill your CPD requirements with our expertly curated passes. Dive deep into specialized topics or explore a wide range of courses—all in one convenient package. Learn more

Instructor

Caryma Sa'd

Lawyer

Founder, Law Office of Caryma Sa’d

Andrew is a Toronto immigration lawyer and the Managing Lawyer of Carvajal Law. He received a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Civil Law from McGill University. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2011.

Andrew’s immigration practice focuses on all types of business immigration, including the relocation of foreign workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program. This involves the representation of employers and employees on all types of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications and Canadian work permit applications. He also assists professionals and entrepreneurs around the world with permanent residence applications under federal and provincial economic programs.

Having been involved in the international student industry for over 10 years, Andrew also assists clients with study permits and visitor visas. He is the CEO of the education consulting firm mobility.study.

For over 10 years, Andrew has taught at the university and college levels, as well as professional development courses to immigration lawyers, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants and paralegals. He is the Curriculum Developer for LPEN and an instructor of multiple online courses and workshops dealing with labour mobility programs, permanent residence and study permits. He is also a frequent contributor to several publications dealing with immigration law and has been invited to speak about immigration changes on local and national news segments, as well as to testify before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration.

Prior to practising law, Andrew was a sociology professor at McGill University and a university researcher in projects dealing with criminal justice, equality laws, family transformation and social research methods. He is also the host of the biweekly wine and immigration podcast “Vivir Afuera”.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Have questions? We’re here to help. Check out our FAQs to learn more about this Course.

Absolutely. Every LPEN course is recorded, and the recording is added to your account within a few business days. You can log in anytime to watch it on demand and still receive your digital certificate of completion.

LPEN seeks accreditation for each course from the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and the Law Society of Ontario (LSO),the Law Society of BC (LSBC) when applicable. Accreditation details and approved CPD hours are listed in the CPD Credits section on each course page, so you can easily confirm how the course qualifies toward your professional development requirements.

A digital certificate of completion will be available once the course recording has been uploaded. After that, you can follow the steps at the top of your My Courses page—where you’ll also find a short video explaining how to download your certificate. Be sure to save it as part of your documentation for your CPD hours.

This course may be included in one or several LPEN Passes. Passes offer discounted rates and access to multiple courses, making CPD compliance simpler. Check out our Passes page to see where it is included.

You don’t need to create an account separately. When you register for a course or pass, an account is automatically created during checkout. You’ll be asked to enter your email address and set a password—these will be your login details for future access.

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