The Supreme Court of Canada released its reasons in Quan v. Cusson and Grant v. Torstar Corp today. These are key decisions in the area of defamation and libel, and a major victory for the media. The court recognized the new defence, of responsible communication on matters of public importance. A quote from the reasons delivered by Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin in Cusson: “The judge decides whether the publication was on a matter of public interest. If so, the jury then decides whether the standard of responsibility has been met.” Read the court’s reasons here [1]. The Globe and Mail press coverage is here [2]. Combine Cusson with the more detailed reasons set out in the Supreme Court’s decision [3] in Grant v. Torstar Corp, and we have just seen a reboot of libel law in Canada.