The high profile December 2022 Ontario lawsuit of Byram Bridle has come to an end. The Notice of Discontinuance was recently filed, along with the Consent form. The parties agreed to drop the case with no costs to anyone.
See parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 for more specifics on the case.
Bridle had previously discontinued with respect to David Fisman, but the new document applies to everyone else. The litigation is finished at this point.
While the details of the case remain disputed, at its core, Bridle brought a lawsuit against his employer, the University of Guelph. This was over issues of workplace bullying and harassment. This immediately causes problems, given the union agreement he was subject to.
Specifically, Bridle has the right to grieve and to arbitrate, but not to litigate.
University Of Guelph Faculty Covered By Collective Agreements
Article 40 of Guelph’s Collective Bargaining Agreement delves into dispute resolution. It lays out a process that everyone is expected to follow. In short, it goes: (a) informal resolution; (b) formal grievance; and (c) arbitration as a last resort. And the ruling of an Arbitrator is expected to be final.
However, Bridle didn’t go to arbitration. Instead, he sued everyone involved, including those who handled the initial investigation. He seemed to think that cloaking everything with allegations of “conspiracy” would somehow get around the lack of jurisdiction of the Courts. He must have had poor representation.
Another interesting detail: Bridle filed a police report in Peel over impersonation and identity theft, as a result of a website in his name. The report was filed with the Motion Records. It doesn’t seem like the site was meant to be taken seriously, but just to report on his views and statements. This fed into the “conspiracy” allegations.
The findings from that complaint were to be used to bolster this case, which seems to be a bad faith reason to call the police.
Bridle was also banned from the University after he refused to participate in an investigation alleging threats and possible violence. But this just ties into the narrative pushed by the Defence that the suit is fundamentally about a workplace dispute. It doesn’t somehow grant the Courts the right to hear such a case.
It gets even worse.
Lawsuit Framed (Largely) As Challenge Over Public Views
While the Courts would have no jurisdiction anyway, Bridle ended up framing his lawsuit (mainly) to indicate that he was attacked for his public views and policy positions on viruses and vaccines. This exposed him to an anti-SLAPP Motion, which is exactly what the University ended up doing.
Costs on dismissal
137.1(7) If a judge dismisses a proceeding under this section, the moving party is entitled to costs on the motion and in the proceeding on a full indemnity basis, unless the judge determines that such an award is not appropriate in the circumstances.
Ontario’s anti-SLAPP laws give “full indemnity”, or 100% of costs as the recommendation if lawsuits are dismissed. And given the mentioned lack of jurisdiction, there was already a built in defence to support such a Motion. Hard to believe counsel didn’t explain this to Bridle.
To sum up, Bridle’s poor choice to file such a Claim turned an arbitration hearing into a lawsuit with a full indemnity anti-SLAPP Motion, and no chance of success. Such rulings typically result in cost awards of well over $100,000.
It doesn’t end there.
Bridle apparently wasn’t satisfied filing such a case against his employer. He decided to include David Fisman (yes, that Fisman) over some online comments he made. This was justified by calling everything a “conspiracy”. Unsurprisingly, Fisman responded with an anti-SLAPP Motion of his own.
Suddenly, Bridle was staring down 2 anti-SLAPP Motions, with no real prospects of winning either. Going the distance could have easily set him back a quarter million ($250,000) or more.
The amount of paperwork for these Motion Records can be difficult to grasp. Fisman filed this, this and this. Guelph filed 3 volumes here, here and here. Bridle has a 2,000 page Motion Record of his own.
Ultimately, Bridle negotiated to have both Motions dropped without costs. Presumably, the Defendants’ insurers decided it wasn’t worth pouring more money into a case if Bridle would be unlikely or unable to pay. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen again.
But what’s the result here? Other than burning a lot of bridges, and airing out his dirty laundry, Bridle hasn’t accomplished much.
“Mr. Bad Beyond Argument’s” Record On Covid Cases
The Bridle case doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Here are some other well known cases that were filed in recent years, and all from the same lawyer. Very lackluster, to put it mildly.
- Abandoned – Vaccine Choice Canada (1st case), Spring 2020
- Abandoned – Sgt. Julie Evans (Police on Guard), around 2022?
- Abandoned – Children’s Health Defense Canada, around 2022?
- Abandoned – Kulvinder Gill/Ashvinder Lamba (right after Appeal launched), March 2022
- Abandoned – Kulvinder Gill v. Attaran, March 2022
- Abandoned – Action4Canada (no amended Claim ever filed), August 2022
- Abandoned – Adelberg (Federal case, no amended Claim ever filed) February 2023
- Discontinued – Vaccine Choice Canada (2nd case), May 2024
- Discontinued – Byram Bridle v. David Fisman, June 2024
- Discontinued – Katanik (Take Action Canada), July 2024
- Discontinued – Byram Bridle v. University of Guelph, October 2024
- Never Happened – B.C. Action for Provincial doctors
- Never Happened – Injection pass case for up to 400 college students
- Never Happened – Injection injury case for up to 600 Federal workers
- Never Happened – Public inquiry for Government response
The category of “never happened” includes several causes for which money was raised, that don’t appear to have ever materialized.
- Lost – Gill/Lamba case dismissed under anti-SLAPP laws, February 2022
- Lost – Action4Canada case struck as “bad beyond argument”, August 2022
- Lost – Adelberg (Federal case) struck as “bad beyond argument”, February 2023
- Lost – Law Society of Ontario case struck for no Cause of Action, October 2023
- Lost – CSASPP defamation case dismissed under anti-SLAPP laws, December 2023
- Lost – Action4Canada Appeal dismissed, no reviewable error listed, February 2024
- Lost – Adelberg Appeal (mostly) dismissed as employment claims still barred, June 2024
Both Action4Canada and Adelberg were struck by the Courts, (BCSC and Federal, respectively). Instead of pursuing amended versions — which was allowed — time and money were wasted with frivolous Appeals. This is why they’re classified as both “lost” and “abandoned”.
Guess they don’t make “top Constitutional lawyers” like they used to.
For a rough idea of how much money one lawyer can waste, see this previous compilation with estimates attached. “Mr. Bad Beyond Argument” has poured millions of dollars from donors and clients down the drain. Not one case ever got past a Motion to Strike.
The CSASPP Appeal will be heard in January 2025, and a case called Dorceus is under reserve, pending a Decision on the Motion to Strike. The Adelberg SCC Leave Application will be decided soon. All 3 are unlikely to go anywhere.
Many cases — including Bridle’s — make national news initially, and are never heard from again. They result in headlines, attention, and large donations. That’s because winning isn’t the goal, publicity is. Of course, that isn’t a legitimate reason to sue.
This specific lawsuit was reported in over 25 “alternative” media outlets in December 2022, but it doesn’t look like a single one ever followed up. The Statement of Claim was juicy enough, wasn’t it?
BRIDLE DOCUMENTS:
(1) Byram Bridle Statement Of Claim
(2) Byram Bridle Statement Of Defence
(3) Byram Bridle Statement Reply
(4) Byram Bridle Notice Of Motion Fisman
(5) Byram Bridle Motion Record Fisman 1 Of 2
(6) Byram Bridle Motion Record Fisman Supplemental
(7) Byram Bridle Motion Record Fisman Volume 1 Full
(8) Byram Bridle Motion Record Plaintiff Full
(9) Byram Bridle Notice Of Discontinuance Fisman
(10) Byram Bridle Notice Of Motion Guelph
(11) Byram Bridle Motion Record Guelph 1 Of 3
(12) Byram Bridle Motion Record Guelph 2 Of 3
(13) Byram Bridle Motion Record Guelph 3 Of 3
(14) Byram Bridle Affidavit Of Service MR
(15) Byram Bridle Peel Police Identity Theft
(16) Byram Bridle Consent Dismissal Of Claim
(17) Byram Bridle Notice Of Discontinuance Guelph
(18) Byram Bridle Affidavit Of Service
EXTRA LINKS:
(1) https://www.ontario.ca/page/search-court-cases-online
(2) https://www.uoguelph.ca/facultyrelations/collective-agreements
(3) University Of Guelph, Text Of Collective Bargaining Agreement
Fisman is one of the main bad dominos I think….two books about his fraud were written by R.N. Watteel. I’m surprised the lawsuit against him is as dropped…..🤔🤔
He was sued over a few public comments he made.