Fun and Interesting Judgments – Part 1: Martians in the legal justice system

From time to time, I have come across judgments which are both interesting and are often quite fun to read. I have collected a few of these over the years, and thought I might share them from time to time on this blog.

The first is the case of Joly v. Pelletier, [1999] O.J. No. 1728 (S.C.J.). (Unfortunately, given the dated nature of the case, it is not yet available for free online, but I will summarize it as best I can).

The plaintiff, Rene Joly, was described as “well-prepared” and “thoughtful” in his arguments to the court. He was “polite, articulate, [and] intelligent”.

The problem was that the plaintiff seemed to have a very honest belief that he was a Martian, which was the entire basis for his claims before the court.

What followed was an example of some excellent legal reasoning by the court.
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