Canadian court dismisses INC defamation case for non-compliance

A Canadian court dismissed a defamation case filed by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) against the CBC over publications alleging corruption and other crimes after the religious group repeatedly failed to comply with court orders.

Justice Kenneth Champagne of the Court of King's Bench-Winnipeg Centre cited 'persistent non-compliance with court rules' as an abuse of process by the plaintiffs, noting that INC used court processes to silence its critics and employed a 'litigation strategy designed to waste resources'.

Champagne found deficiencies in the testimony of Brother Rvy Medicielo, who was introduced as knowledgeable but knew little about matters in the litigation.

The judge also stated that INC's actions were unacceptable and reprehensible, diminishing the court's integrity and undermining confidence in justice administration.

Menorca hopes this ruling will serve as a precedent for future cases against critics of the church and influence Philippine courts to reevaluate similar cases involving the Iglesia ni Cristo.