He became Canada's first Muslim chief human rights commissioner. But even before he began his role, the attacks started and they were relentless. Now he's hitting back at the people and organisations that perpetuated a campaign of slander and vitriol against him. I sat down with Birju Dattani and his lawyer Alexi Wood to discuss their case and the possible ripple effects and precedent it could set.
“The independent report’s conclusions were clear: Mr. Dattani is not now and never has been antisemitic, “ says Alexi Wood, founding Partner at St. Lawrence and Barristers PC, and Mr. Dattani’s legal counsel. “While freedom of expression is an essential foundation of our democracy, there are limits. It is unlawful to state things that are not true as fact, to lower the reputation of others.”
“It is dangerous to assert that academic research, being critical of a government, attending protests, and simply having a Muslim name are reasons for suspicion,” says Birju Dattani. “Through these defamation and libel lawsuits, I am sending a message: those who use their platforms to spew hate and spread misinformation must face recourse for their actions, which have real life consequences.”
