In another important Supreme Court of Canada case, anonymous cyberbullies created a fake Facebook page, which contained derogatory and defamatory content about a 15 year old girl. The girl brought a defamation and harassment action against the anonymous cyberbullies and sought an order from the Nova Scotia courts that would assist in identifying them. She also sought an order that would prohibit the publication of her identity.
The Supreme Court granted the request and affirmed the importance of protecting our youth from cyberbullies. By so doing, the Supreme Court has enabled other victims to come forward and use the civil courts to track down their tormentors, without the fear of having their identity revealed to the public.
School boards on behalf of principals in some extreme cases might consider recourse to the civil courts to aid in their investigation and possible discipline. A court application can be brought on behalf of the victim seeking to identify the cyberbullies and where the online activity took place.
