Daniel Burnett

Dan Burnett, Q.C. represents broadcasters, print media and internet publishers, on a wide range of media issues including defamation, privacy, contempt, court access, freedom of information, publication bans and freedom of expression issues. Dan is also an adjunct professor of media law at the University of British Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

Dan has published numerous papers on defamation, including papers featured in the 2016 and 2008 Annual Review of Civil Litigation and is one of the authors of the Canadian Privacy and Defamation chapters published annually by the MLRC.

Dan has acted on numerous landmark media law cases at all court levels, and was appointed Amicus by the Supreme Court of Canada on one of its first internet open court cases. A few of the noteworthy media cases Dan has acted on include:

Crookes v Newton [1] - 2011 Supreme Court of Canada decision on liability for hyperlinks and application of defamation laws to internet publications.

WIC v Simpson [2] - 2008 landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision reforming the law of fair comment in accordance with Charter values of free expression

Taseko Mines v Wilderness Committee [3] - 2017 BC Court of Appeal decision defeating a libel action against environmental critics.

Casses v CBC [4] - 2015 BC Supreme Court decision upholding the responsible journalism defence in favour of investigative journalists.

Follow Dan Burnett on Twitter @Dan_Burnett_Law