Farhad Mehr, Ottawa Litigation Lawyer

About Farhad Mehr

Farhad Mehr is a litigation lawyer in Ottawa, Ontario, and the Managing Partner of Francis Mehr LLP. As a litigation lawyer, Farhad prides his practice on the results he provides to clients. His work spans civil litigation generally: defamation, construction liens, commercial and franchise disputes, and family and estate matters.

His court and tribunal appearances include the Ontario Court of Appeal, the civil, family and small claims branches of the Superior Court, the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Labour Relations Board, and the Ontario Health Services Review Board.

Farhad acts for individuals and businesses, including small and large business owners, franchisors and franchisees, contractors and property owners, and parties in estate disputes. To discuss a matter, book a consultation below.

Cyber defamation and online defamation lawyer in Ottawa

Specifically, Farhad is one of the few lawyers in the City of Ottawa that has substantial experience in cyber defamation. He has successfully obtained several disclosure Court Orders against publishing websites in Canada such as Google, and various telecommunication companies to determine the real identity of cyber defamers hiding behind aliases.

Online defamation covers false and damaging statements made on websites, review platforms, social media and message boards. In Ontario, a plaintiff in a defamation action generally has to show that the words were communicated to at least one person other than the plaintiff, that they refer to the plaintiff, and that they convey a defamatory meaning (Crookes v. Newton, 2011 SCC 47, paras. 1 and 39, citing Grant v. Torstar, para. 28).

When the author is hiding behind an alias, the first job is often to find out who it is. Ontario courts can make a Norwich order, which directs a party that is involved in the alleged wrongdoing, such as a website operator or a telecommunications company, to disclose information that identifies the wrongdoer. The Court of Appeal explained the remedy and the factors courts apply in 1654776 Ontario Limited v. Stewart, 2013 ONCA 184, which follows GEA Group AG v. Ventra Group Co., 2009 ONCA 619. The factors are whether the applicant has a valid, bona fide or reasonable claim, whether the third party is somehow involved in the acts complained of, whether it is the only practical source of the information, whether it can be indemnified for the costs of disclosure, and whether the interests of justice favour disclosure (paras. 25 and 50). The court said an applicant does not have to show a prima facie case at the first step, and that freedom of expression is weighed when deciding whether the interests of justice favour disclosure (paras. 49 and 59). Whether an order is made always depends on the evidence and on the judge.

For the firm's own description of this work, see defamation litigation at Francis Mehr LLP.

Defamation in Ontario: common questions

These answers are general information as of October 28, 2026, not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts.

How long do I have to start a defamation claim in Ontario?

It depends on how the statement was published. The general rule in the Limitations Act, 2002 is that a proceeding must be started within two years after the day the claim was discovered (ss. 4 and 5). The Libel and Slander Act adds stricter rules for libel in a newspaper or in a broadcast: written notice to the defendant within six weeks after the libel came to the plaintiff's knowledge (s. 5(1)), and an action within three months (s. 6). Those two provisions apply only to newspapers printed and published in Ontario and to broadcasts from a station in Ontario (s. 7). The Court of Appeal has held that a newspaper published on the internet can be covered (Weiss v. Sawyer, Ont. C.A., 2002, para. 24). Because the periods can be short and the answer depends on where and how the words were published, get advice as soon as you find the statement.

Is sharing a link to defamatory content the same as publishing it?

Not by itself. The Supreme Court of Canada held in Crookes v. Newton that a hyperlink, by itself, should never be seen as publication of the content it refers to. A person can still be liable if the text around the link repeats the defamatory content or expresses defamatory meaning of its own (paras. 14, 40 and 42).

What is the responsible communication defence?

In Grant v. Torstar Corp., 2009 SCC 61, the Supreme Court recognized a defence for responsible communication on matters of public interest. It has two elements: the publication must be on a matter of public interest, and the publisher must show it was responsible, meaning it was diligent in trying to verify the allegations (para. 98). The Court said the defence is available to anyone who publishes material of public interest in any medium (para. 96).

What is an anti-SLAPP motion?

Section 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act lets a person who is sued over expression on a matter of public interest ask a judge to dismiss the proceeding. The judge must dismiss it unless the person who brought it shows there are grounds to believe it has substantial merit, that the defendant has no valid defence, and that the harm suffered is serious enough that the public interest in letting the case continue outweighs the public interest in protecting the expression (s. 137.1(3) and (4)). The motion must be heard within 60 days after notice of it is filed (s. 137.2(2)). It matters to anyone thinking about suing over online comments, and to anyone who has been sued.

Commercial and franchise litigation lawyer in Ottawa

Farhad's business clients include small and large business owners, and several of them are franchisors or franchisees. The matters he handles include corporate litigation, commercial landlord and tenant disputes, and corporate restructuring.

Business disputes of this kind commonly involve contracts, relationships between business owners or shareholders, and commercial leases. Franchise disputes in Ontario are shaped by the Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000, which the firm's franchise page discusses. For the firm's service descriptions, see commercial litigation and franchise litigation at Francis Mehr LLP.

Construction lien lawyer in Ottawa

Contractors and property owners are among the people Farhad acts for when a construction lien is in play.

A construction lien is a claim for unpaid services or materials that can be registered against title to the property that was improved. Under Ontario's Construction Act, a lien generally has to be preserved within 60 days, by registering a claim for lien on title, and then perfected by starting an action and registering a certificate of action on title within 90 days after the last day on which it could have been preserved (ss. 31, 34 and 36; see KingSett Mortgage Corporation v. Mapleview Developments Ltd., 2026 ONCA 512, paras. 35 and 36). The starting point for each period depends on the facts of the project and on the claimant's role, so contractors and owners both benefit from early advice. See the firm's construction litigation page for more.

Estate litigation in Ottawa

Farhad's estate litigation work covers disputes over powers of attorney, the passing of accounts, challenges to wills and guardianship applications, as well as other contested estate matters.

Estate disputes can arise from a will, a power of attorney or the way an estate is being administered. The firm publishes articles for the public on these topics, including challenging a will in Ontario, and describes its powers of attorney and estate administration services.

Education and professional affiliations

• Combined Civil Law and Common Law degree, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.
• Arbitration certificate, Penn State Law (The Dickinson School of Law), offered in conjunction with McGill University.
• Member of the Law Society of Ontario, the County of Carleton Law Association, the Canadian Bar Association and the Ontario Bar Association.

Outside the office

Farhad enjoys traveling and exploring new cultures, and playing table tennis and rugby. Not at the same time.

Legal sources on this page

• Libel and Slander Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. L.12 (ss. 5(1), 6, 7)
• Limitations Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 24, Sched. B (ss. 4, 5)
• Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.43 (ss. 137.1, 137.2)
• Construction Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.30 (ss. 31, 34, 36)
• Grant v. Torstar Corp., 2009 SCC 61
• Crookes v. Newton, 2011 SCC 47
• 1654776 Ontario Limited v. Stewart, 2013 ONCA 184