Toronto Star Reports on Falun Gong Practitioner's Victory of Libel Lawsuit

(Clearwisdom.net, February 5, 2004) On February 3, 2004, the Ontario Superior Court began proceedings for the libel lawsuit filed by Toronto Falun Gong practitioner Mr. Joel Chipkar against the Deputy Consul General of China in Toronto, Mr. Pan Xinchun. Defendant Pan Xinchun was convicted of libel and ordered to compensate for losses he caused to the plaintiff.

According to report from Toronto Star on February 4, a Falun Gong practitioner who claimed the Chinese deputy consul-general in Toronto defamed him by calling him a member of a "sinister cult" designed to "instigate hatred" has won a lawsuit and recognition that he was personally attacked.

The report said, Joel Chipkar, a vocal supporter of the Falun Gong practice, began to weep yesterday as Mr. Justice Harvey Spiegel told a packed courtroom that the Toronto businessman was libelled in a letter to the editor authored by Pan Xinchun. The letter appeared in the Star on April 25, 2003. With his wife Cecilia at his side, Chipkar smiled and bowed to the judge following the ruling in a University Ave. courtroom. As the court hearing ended, about 50 spectators, all practitioners of the spiritual discipline, clapped and congratulated the couple.

According to the report, no one attended court on behalf of Pan or his office to offer a defense to the allegations in the lawsuit. Because Pan chose not to defend the case, the allegations, by default, were accepted as admissions by Pan.

The judge concluded Pan was not acting in an official capacity at the time, so he could not be granted diplomatic immunity, court was told.

In the end, the report said, Chipkar was told if he wanted to seek substantial financial damages, the case would have to be adjourned to another date. "This is not about money. It's about the principle," his lawyer, Peter Downard, told the judge. Chipkar was awarded $1,000, plus his legal costs.