John Furlong doesn’t have to give security in libel case
Posted December 10, 2013 11:05 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – While the larger court battle is still to come, the former head of the Vancouver Winter Games can claim a legal victory against a freelance journalist.
John Furlong won’t be forced to post money for possible legal costs.
A judge has dismissed the bid by journalist Laura Robinson, who wanted Furlong to put up a $100,000 security. Meanwhile, the libel suit still needs to go before the courts; Robinson’s lawyer Jeremy Shragge says he’s still trying to get Furlong to agree to a trial date.
“The rule in this province is you have 30 days once one of the parties reserves a trial date to set the trial down… we’ve invited Mr. Furlong’s counsel to do that.”
Shragge has been looking at some time in early 2015, but may soon have to take another look at the calendar. “We’re going to lose that trial date by the end of this week if he doesn’t file the notice of trial. So if he doesn’t do that, then we’ll obviously have to reconsider what to do next.”
Furlong’s lawyer passed by reporters without stopping following the judge’s ruling.
Furlong has filed suit against Robinson for a newspaper article about claims of abuse during Furlong’s time in northern BC decades ago.
