Federal Court of Appeal Upholds Dismissal of Frivolous and Vexatious Claim
📌 In brief
In a recent case, the Federal Court of Appeal upheld a lower court's decision to dismiss a claimant's lawsuit because the claims were deemed baseless and frivolous, lacking any substantial evidence.
⚖️ Legal holding
A claimant's statement of claim must be founded on material facts to avoid being struck down as frivolous and vexatious.
📖 Technical summary
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, affirming the lower court's decision to strike the claimant's statement of claim.
📜 Headnote Official document
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal, affirming the lower court's decision to strike the claimant's statement of claim for lacking material facts and being frivolous and vexatious.
📚 Full judgment Official document
Date: 20260506 Docket: A-301-23 Citation: 2026 FCA 86 CORAM: LEBLANC J.A. GOYETTE J.A. [NAME] J.A. BETWEEN: [NAME] Appellant and HIS [NAME] THE [NAME] Respondent Heard at Ottawa, Ontario, on May 6, 2026. Judgment delivered from the Bench at Ottawa, Ontario, on May 6, 2026.
REASONS FOR
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY: [NAME] J.A. Date: 20260506 Docket: A-301-23 Citation: 2026 FCA 86 CORAM: LEBLANC J.A. GOYETTE J.A. [NAME] J.A. BETWEEN: [NAME] Appellant and HIS [NAME] THE [NAME] Respondent
REASONS FOR
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Delivered from the Bench at Ottawa, Ontario, on May 6, 2026). [NAME] J.A. [ 1 ] [NAME] appeals the Federal Court’s decision dated October 12, 2023 ( per Lafrenière J.) striking his statement of claim in its entirety, without leave to amend. [NAME] makes a series of assertions relating to a group of six unidentified RCMP members, and not the RCMP as a whole, who are purportedly colluding with unnamed attackers and the Chinese Communist Party which has infiltrated the RCMP to suppress and kill him. [NAME] claims to be under 24-hour ultrasound radiation attacks with sonic canons installed around his house by the attackers, and that he is now forced to wear home-made protection gear and sleep in an ultrasound shielding box. [ 2 ] In a detailed and complete set of reasons, the motions judge found [NAME]’s allegations to be, amongst other things, tantamount to incoherent conjecture and replete with bald declarations, incomprehensible statements, and vague and inconsistent allegations of misconduct on the part of the unidentified members of the RCMP. The motions judge determined that the allegations were not founded on any material facts, were frivolous and vexatious, and disclosed no reasonable cause of action (Rules 221(1)(a) and (c) of the Federal Courts Rules , S.O.R./98-106). The motions judge also found that the statement of claim’s deficiencies could not be cured through any amendments. [ 3 ] Decisions made on motions to strike are discretionary in nature and subject to the appellate standard of review ( [NAME] v. Canada (Prime Minister) , 2023 FCA 41 at para 11). They can only be set aside if the motions judge committed an error of law or a palpable and overriding error in applying the law to the facts. [ 4 ] Before us, [NAME] contends that the motions judge committed several errors. He argues that the decision involved selective cherry-picking of the allegations, as well as illogical and incoherent reasoning. [NAME] also asserts that the motions judge wrongly concluded that Rule 221 did not apply to his motion. Additionally, he claims that the judge erred in determining that there was no police misconduct. He further contends that the judge lacked the expertise to assess the impact of the radiation attacks he endures daily. Moreover, [NAME] insists that his claim was not frivolous or vexatious, as it was motivated by a genuine desire for self-protection. Finally, he argues that his proposed amendment should have been permitted, limited to the events of June 2021, when he was unlawfully detained and his car was impounded based on false allegations of mental disorder. [ 5 ] We disagree with [NAME], as he has not pointed to any reversible error on the part of the motions judge. [ 6 ] The motions judge correctly instructed himself on the law on motions to strike, including Rule 221; he engaged in a holistic and practical examination of pleadings so as to gain a realistic appreciation of its essential character before coming to the conclusion that it was plain and obvious that the statement of claim had no reasonable prospect of success ( Saskatchewan (Attorney General) v. Pasqua First Nation , 2026 FCA 83, at para. 3). In particular, the motions judge determined that the statement of claim provided no factual foundation for the unconnected allegations being made by [NAME], leaving both the respondent and the Court to speculate as to the circumstances alleged to ground the claims against the members of the RMCP. [ 7 ] Contrary to the assertions of [NAME], at no point did the motions judge determine that Rule 221 did not apply to the motion before him, quite the contrary, or that there was no evidence of police misconduct in this case. What the motions judge found was that [NAME] failed to plead material facts that could support a recognized cause of action. Moreover, the level of expertise the motions judge may or may not have had in relation to the impact of the radiation attacks on [NAME] is of no moment, as is the fact that in presenting his claim, [NAME] was motivated by a genuine desire for self-protection. [ 8 ] As regards the motions judge’s finding that no amendment would be sufficient to cure the radical deficiencies in the pleadings, we see no reason to interfere with such a finding. Having heard [NAME] and considered his arguments, we have not been convinced of any palpable and overriding error in relation to the motions judge’s determinations. As such, the appeal will be dismissed, with costs in the amount of $500.00, all inclusive. "[NAME]" J.A. FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL NAMES OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD DOCKET: A-301-23 STYLE OF CAUSE: [NAME] v. HIS [NAME] THE [NAME] OF HEARING: OTTAWA, ONTARIO DATE OF HEARING: May 6, 2026
REASONS FOR
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT BY: LEBLANC J.A. GOYETTE J.A. [NAME] J.A. DELIVERED FROM THE BENCH BY: [NAME] J.A. APPEARANCES : [NAME] For The Appellant ON HIS [NAME] For The Respondent SOLICITORS OF RECORD : [NAME] of Canada For The Respondent
⚖️ What tends to weigh in cases like this
✅ Tends to be accepted
- The motions judge correctly applied Rule 221 to the motion.
- The motions judge conducted a thorough examination of the pleadings.
- The motions judge determined that the claim lacked a factual foundation.
- The motions judge concluded that no amendment could cure the deficiencies.
❌ Tends to be rejected
- The appellant argued that the motions judge selectively picked allegations.
- The appellant claimed the judge lacked the necessary expertise to assess radiation impacts.
- The appellant asserted that his claim was not frivolous or vexatious.
- The appellant suggested that his proposed amendment should have been allowed.
Patterns observed in similar cases in this collection — every case is unique.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What did this decision decide?
The Federal Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, confirming the lower court's decision to strike the claimant's statement of claim.
What was the dispute about?
The dispute was over whether the claimant's statement of claim should be allowed to proceed or dismissed due to lack of substance and frivolousness.
How did the court decide, and why?
The court decided to uphold the dismissal, reasoning that the claimant's allegations were unsupported by facts and were frivolous and vexatious.
Which laws or rules were applied?
The Federal Courts Rules, specifically Rule 221(1)(a) and (c), were applied.
What was the argument that mattered most?
The argument that mattered most was that the claimant's allegations were not supported by any material facts and were therefore frivolous and vexatious.
Was the decision for or against the person who brought the case?
The decision was against the person who brought the case.
What does this mean for someone in a similar situation?
Someone in a similar situation should ensure their claims are supported by solid evidence and are not frivolous or vexatious.
What evidence or documents mattered?
The judgment does not specify any specific evidence or documents that mattered.
