Taxpayers could pay mayor’s legal defence in Twitter lawsuit

As a group of citizens sues the mayor over his blocking them on social media, a city policy could result in taxpayers covering the costs of Jim Watson's legal defence.

The activists launched this lawsuit, after they were blocked by the mayor on Twitter — because, the plaintiffs claim, they disagreed with Watson's views.

Their lawyer argues that citizens have the right to see what their mayor is up to, and that a public official blocking citizens from viewing their tweets infringes on the citizens' freedom of expression rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“(The mayor) is tweeting regularly during the business day, during work hours, about public issues, about announcements, about public debates,” said Paul Champ, a human rights lawyer who represents the plaintiffs.

Watson has countered that he has the right to not be harassed online, or tweeted at over and over by the same people. Also, Watson argues, it's his personal Twitter account, anyway.

“He's clearly using it for a work purpose, or an official public purpose,” Champ told Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe on 1310 NEWS. “So, that's a nice argument by Mayor Watson but it clearly doesn't apply.”

The City of Ottawa is not named in this lawsuit, so Watson will have to hire his own lawyer. 

“The City does not pay personal legal expenses for matters outside of a Member of Council's role and the parameters of the Indemnification Policy,” said Rick O'Connor, city solicitor, in a written statement.

However, the city's indemnity policy says members of council should be reimbursed when they're sued in the course of carrying out their duties — which means taxpayers could be on the hook for the costs of Watson's legal bills.

 

Listen to the full conversation with human rights lawyer Paul Champ on Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe: