Despite Supreme Court loss, Jérémy Gabriel hopes his 10-year battle inspires others to fight
CBC
Jérémy Gabriel's voice shook as he spoke to reporters Friday after a 10-year legal battle finally came to an end at Canada's highest court.
"It took a lot of my time and energy," said Gabriel during a morning news conference.
"I do accept the decision. The real beauty of that is I can move on now."
That decision split 5-4 Friday, ruling in favour of comedian Mike Ward, whose act ridiculed Gabriel, a young man with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a congenital disorder characterized by skull and facial abnormalities.
The court ruled that Ward did not breach the limits of free speech guaranteed under Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
In its ruling, the court found that Gabriel was not chosen as a target because of his disability, but rather because of his fame. The court also found that Ward's jokes did not seek to incite others to mock Gabriel and Ward cannot be blamed for the actions of Gabriel's classmates and others who parroted the jokes.
Gabriel said he plans to focus more on his life and schoolwork. No matter the Supreme Court's decision, he said, "We denounce the jokes Mike Ward made against me."
WATCH | What Jérémy Gabriel says about the Supreme Court ruling:
In 2016, a human rights tribunal ordered Ward to pay $35,000 in moral and punitive damages for comments he made about Gabriel, who was a child at the time.
Friday's ruling is significant because it is the first time the Supreme Court has heard a case where it has had to rule on the balance between a person's right to live in dignity and the right to freedom of expression in the context of a comedian's act.
Gabriel addressed all those who attacked him over the years as he pushed on through the courts and media coverage. He said every insult — every threat — only motivated him to continue the legal battle.
"I don't regret anything after all that has happened in the last 10 years," said Gabriel.
When he was a boy, hearing the comedian's numerous jokes about him, Gabriel said he tried to take his own life and he would like Ward to know that.
"I would like to tell him how I felt when I first heard the jokes," he said.
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