Quebec comedian Mike Ward's mockery of disabled singer not discriminatory: Supreme Court
CTV
The Supreme Court of Canada says comedian Mike Ward's comments about a disabled singer did not amount to discrimination under Quebec's rights charter.
In a 5-4 ruling today, the high court set aside a decision ordering Ward to pay damages for mocking Jeremy Gabriel, saying a discrimination claim must not become a defamation action.
The high-profile case pitted artistic expression, in the form of dark comedy, against the protection of one's dignity.
Gabriel, who has Treacher Collins syndrome _ a congenital disorder characterized by skull and facial deformities _ became a celebrity in Quebec after he sang with Celine Dion and for the Pope.
In his act, which took aim at well-known figures considered beyond mockery, Ward joked he thought Gabriel's illness was terminal and people were only nice to him because he would soon die.
