Conservative website shuttered after libel ruling [Free Dominion]

Ottawa Citizen ^ | January 28, 2014 | Andrew Duffy

[conniew]

"Are there any alternative options or workarounds available to get you up and running again? Like bringing your forum back up on an offshore located server(s)? Somewhere that the Canadian Gvt has no jurisdiction? Or because the forum owners (you) are Canadian nationals would the legal system there still be able to restrict or otherwise prevent you from having such a site?"

The server is already located in Panama, but it doesn't help us because the injunction is against us, personally. All we can do is appeal.

[beef]

I am sorry that free speech is dead in Canada. We need to redouble our efforts to keep it alive in the US.

[Edward Kennedy]

Up here in Loonielefturdia, the facists install laws when they are elected and use these facist regulations to impose their intolerant anti freedom bigotted agenda. They fool the foolish useful idiots in the mindless grazing herd into voting for them. This has always been the way the enemies of justice and freedom have gained control historically. The same pos are trying it in the USA...know this and be cautious. The USA is the greatest nation in the world and if it falls, every other will fall.

[beef]

“The server is already located in Panama, but it doesn't help us because the injunction is against us, personally. All we can do is appeal.”

The risk is obviously too great for you personally to resurrect Free Dominion, but maybe someday an American or other non-Canadian subject will take up the mantel.

People always say how nice the Canadians are, and I have always found that to be true. But news like this makes me wonder how much of is born of fear. That makes it not so nice.

[conniew]

I am sorry that free speech is dead in Canada. We need to redouble our efforts to keep it alive in the US.

It is, indeed, dead.

Other than that one Ottawa Citizen article, our media won't even go near this story! If anyone here has connections in the US conservative media and you wouldn't mind passing this story along, we'd really appreciate it.

Since we no longer have a website and everyone else is terrified, it makes it very difficult for us to get our side of the story out there.

[beef]

"you wouldn't mind passing this story along"

Submitted to Drudge.

[Chickensoup]

So much for thinking CA is just like the USA

_________________

We’re next

[Lion Den Dan]

It is already here. I think it is starting with the bakers and D’Souza (sp).

[conniew]

Thank you!!

[I want the USA back]

Liberals shutting down free speech.

[midnightcat]

that’s beyond crazy! and it seems the Ontario defamation law is nuts too. You might as well put the entire province in jail since someone might say something nasty about someone else.... I used to visit your site on occasion just to see what was going on in the Canadian world.

[alcatrash]

i take it Canadians don’t enjoy the legal protection of Freedom Of Speech up in their identity-challenged almost country. damn shame, eh?

[conniew]

We have no less than FIVE lawsuits against us right now. Four of them are defamation suits and one is a copyright one.

They were determined to bring down our site, and they did.

But, even though the site is down, we are going to see the lawsuits through. Hopefully we will win, but even if we don’t, maybe we can bring some attention to the sorry state of affairs in our country.

[OneVike]

Wow, I was a member of the Free Dominion. When ever FR shut down I would go there to surf and discuss things.

[conniew]

It seems Mark Steyn is having a similar problem down there. I was really disappointed to see that.

[Ray76]

He he - post comments on government sites and get those sites shut down. Turnabout is fair play. Shut their apparatus down.

[Responsibility2nd]

Free Dominion has been shut down in Canada. I’m trying to see this as something other than a clear suppression of free speech. But that’s what it is.

I hate that my mind wanders and begins to wonder when free speech in America will also be a crime. Yet, if that happens, will they also shut down Free Republic and/or send Jim Robinson and his family to jail?

Sending an extra $30 today to Free Republic in memorium of of Free Dominion.

[B4Ranch]

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As of today, January 23, 2014, and after 13 years online, Free Dominion is closing its doors to the public. We have been successfully censored.

Please click here to donate to our appeal fund!

Today, Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Smith issued an order in the Richard Warman vs Mark and Connie Fournier and John Does defamation case heard September, 2013. In addition to ordering that we must pay Warman $127,000, Justice Smith issued an injunction against us ordering we that never publish, or allow to be published, anything negative about Richard Warman. This means we are barred for life from ever operating a public forum or a blog (even about cookie recipes) where the public can comment. If we do so, any one of Warman’s handful of supporters could, and probably would, use a common proxy server to avoid being traced, plant a negative comment about Warman on our site, and we would both be charged with contempt of court. If that happened --unlike in the Ottawa courtroom where we were blocked at every turn from presenting a defense-- we actually would have no defense. We would both go to jail. This life sentence was imposed for our terrible crimes of voicing our honestly held beliefs and allowing others to do the same. Defamation law, in its current state, is entirely inadequate and counterproductive when applied to the internet. Now it is being used as a tool of censorship. Effectively!

We are assessing our options.

In faith,
Mark and Connie Fournier

"If it takes force to impose your ideas on your fellow man, there is something wrong with your ideas. If you are willing to use force to impose your ideas on your fellow man, there is something wrong with you." - Mark Fournier

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[conniew]

Awesome idea!

If this trend continues, FR will be a prime target for the people who want to silence the internet.

[onyx]

God bless and keep you all.

I knew your site from backhoe.