Judge delays verdict on Kamloops mayor’s defamation claim

Lawyers for the mayor of Kamloops and a city councillor argued their cases in a defamation lawsuit in court this week, but the judge has reserved her decision.

BC Supreme Court Justice Jacqueline Hughes heard from lawyers for both sides over the past five days. The long-delayed hearing will decide whether Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson’s defamation claim might be tossed before a trial starts.

On Friday, Sept. 26, Justice Hughes told the court she would return at a later date with her decision.

“I didn’t expect a decision from the judge on the spot and was prepared for a necessary wait,” Coun. Katie Neustaeter said this afternoon.

Through her lawyer, Daniel Reid, Neustaeter argued the mayor’s defamation claim has no merit. Her lawyer told the court Hamer-Jackson’s lawsuit was an attempt to silence Neustaeter as a critic of the mayor.

Neustaeter was in court for the first two days before leaving for Victoria to attend the Union of BC Municipalities conference.

“I spent most of the week at (the conference) doing the job I was elected to do, but it felt good to see the inside of a courtroom on Monday and Tuesday while my lawyer presented my defence against the mayor’s lawsuit,” she said in a written statement.

Hamer-Jackson did not respond to a request for comment.

The defamation case, according to the mayor’s lawyer Jody Wells, revolves around multiple statements where Neustaeter is alleged to have damaged the mayor’s reputation.

The thrust of that claim came after a March 2023 news conference where Neustaeter read aloud a joint council statement criticizing the mayor for his behaviour at city hall.

Neustaeter filed an anti-SLAPP application months ago, which led to this week’s hearing that will test whether the lawsuit has merit or if it’s an attempt to silence legitimate political speech.

Hamer-Jackson spent months without a lawyer and hired one just before the hearing started in July. He successfully had his lawyer postpone the hearing to this week, then filed a second defamation lawsuit against Neustaeter before the hearing started.

Neustaeter said she has been “flooded” with support in her defence of the defamation claims.

It’s not clear when Justice Hughes will return with her decision.