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Case information

Consult our database for details on a Supreme Court of Canada case.


42174

Zhuo Chen v. 1486151 Ontario Limited o/a Diverse Transportation

(Ontario) (Civil) (By Leave)

Docket

Judgments on applications for leave to appeal are rendered by the Court, but are not necessarily unanimous.

List of proceedings
Date Proceeding Filed By
(if applicable)
2026-07-27 All materials on application for leave submitted to the Judges, for consideration by the Court
2026-04-02 Notice of change of solicitor, (Letter Form), (Printed version filed on 2026-04-02) Zhuo Chen
2026-02-23 Correspondence received from, (Letter Form), Please be advised that the Applicant will not be filling a Reply., (Printed version due on 2026-03-02) Zhuo Chen
2026-02-12 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), 23A, (Printed version filed on 2026-02-13) 1486151 Ontario Limited o/a Diverse Transportation
2026-02-12 Notice of name, (Letter Form), (Printed version filed on 2026-02-13) 1486151 Ontario Limited o/a Diverse Transportation
2026-02-12 Respondent's response on the application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Completed on: 2026-02-12, (Printed version filed on 2026-02-13) 1486151 Ontario Limited o/a Diverse Transportation
2026-01-15 Letter acknowledging receipt of an incomplete application for leave to appeal and without formal Court of Appeal order, File opened
2026-01-13 Certificate (on limitations to public access), (Letter Form), 23A, (Printed version filed on 2026-01-15) Zhuo Chen
2026-01-13 Application for leave to appeal, (Book Form), Missing:
-CA Order (Draft order filed in the LTA) (rec'd 2026-01-19)
-Proof of service (Copy of the email sent) (rec'd 2026-01-15), Completed on: 2026-01-19, (Printed version filed on 2026-01-15)
Zhuo Chen

Parties

Please note that in the case of closed files, the “Status” column reflects the status of the parties at the time of the proceedings. For more information about the proceedings and about the dates when the file was open, please consult the docket of the case in question.

Main parties

Main parties - Appellants
Name Role Status
Chen, Zhuo Applicant Active

v.

Main parties - Respondents
Name Role Status
1486151 Ontario Limited o/a Diverse Transportation Respondent Active

Counsel

Party: Chen, Zhuo

This party is not represented by counsel.

Party: 1486151 Ontario Limited o/a Diverse Transportation

Counsel
Names
Gordon McGuire
Cameron Rempel
Katie Glowach
Jacqueline Houston
Contact information
Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP
95 Wellington Street West
Suite 1830
Toronto, Ontario
M5J 2N7
Telephone: (416) 499-9940
FAX: (416) 689-2059
Email: gmcguire@agbllp.com
Agent
Name
Moira S. Dillon
Contact information
Supreme Law Group
440 Laurier Ave. West
Suite 200
Ottawa, Ontario
K1R 7X6
Telephone: (613) 691-1224
FAX: (613) 691-1338
Email: mdillon@supremelawgroup.ca

Summary

Keywords

Courts — Dismissal of proceeding that limits debate — Defamation — Matters of public interest — What is the key distinction between a message that merely references a private dispute, such as in Sokoloff v. Tru-Path Occupational Therapy Services Ltd., 2020 ONCA 730, and a message that originates from a private dispute, but deals with issues of public interest?

Summary

Case summaries are prepared by the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada (Law Branch). Please note that summaries are not provided to the Judges of the Court. They are placed on the Court file and website for information purposes only.

The applicant is the former employee of the respondent. Following his departure, the applicant made a claim for unpaid wages and other amounts that he alleged the respondent owed him. In his demands for payment, the applicant threatened to send damaging communications to the respondent’s clients and others if payment was not made. Payment was not made and the applicant made the damaging communications. The respondent sued the applicant for defamation. The applicant moved to dismiss the claim as strategic litigation against public participation (“SLAPP”). In the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the motion judge dismissed the applicant’s anti-SLAPP motion under s. 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43. The Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the applicant’s appeal and held that the motion judge made no reversible errors.

Lower court rulings

January 27, 2025
Ontario Superior Court of Justice

2025 ONSC 554

Anti-SLAPP motion dismissed

November 17, 2025
Court of Appeal for Ontario

2025 ONCA 786

Appeal dismissed

Filed documents

The memorandums of argument on an application for leave to appeal will be posted here 30 days after leave to appeal has been granted unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of the memorandum by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613-996-8666 or at 1-844-365-9662.

If you have questions about a memorandum of argument or want to use a memorandum of argument, please contact the author of the memorandum of argument directly. Their name appears at the end of the memorandum of argument. The contact information for counsel is found in the “Counsel” tab of this page.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The factums of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here at least 2 weeks before the hearing unless they contain personal information, information that is subject to a publication ban, or any other information that is not part of the public record. You may also obtain copies of factums by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613-996-8666 or at 1-844-365-9662.

If you have questions about a factum or want permission to use a factum, please contact the author of the factum directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each factum.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

The condensed books of the appellant, the respondent and the intervener will be posted here upon receipt of the electronic version, 2 days prior to the scheduled appeal hearing. You may also obtain copies of condensed books by filling out the Request for Court records form or by contacting the Court’s Records Centre either by email at records-dossiers@scc-csc.ca or by telephone at 613-996-8666 or at 1-844-365-9662.

If you have questions about a condensed book or want permission to use a condensed book, please contact the author of the condensed book directly. Their contact information appears on the first page of each condensed book.

Downloadable PDFs

Not available

Webcasts

Not available.

Date modified: 2026-08-05