My defence in Vigna v. Levant: Vigna beclowned himself

Giacomo Vigna is a failed politician. He has run for public office three times. His last adventure with the unwashed masses was in Ottawa, where he ran for city council. He spent $17,600 and came in fourth, with just 582 votes. That's $30/vote, and he still got creamed.

Vigna is now betting his money on Michael Ignatieff, to whom he gave $1,000. I'm guessing that's as good as lost, too.

Vigna is best known, however, for his antics before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. He appeared before that tribunal as the Canadian Human Rights Commission's lawyer, prosecuting section 13 hate speech cases, such as the Warman v. Beaumont and Warman v. Lemire hearings.

It was in the Lemire hearing that Vigna had -- how can I put this gently? -- a bad day. You can read for yourself, from the court transcripts of that day, starting at page 4867 here:

MR. VIGNA: Sorry. Mr. Chair, I don't have the flu but I don't feel in a serene state of mind to proceed with the file today. I don't feel very well. I feel dizzy, I feel anxiety, and I am not in a serene state of mind to proceed with this file today.  

I have a lot of things worrying me right now and I don't want to elaborate, but my colleague said, Mr. Fine, there are some certain incidents that have occurred which I don't feel at liberty to elaborate right now, which have had an impact on my ability to proceed in a professional way on this file, at least for today, because I wouldn't be rendering the Commission a just service by proceeding in this condition.  

I am not dying, Mr. Chair, I don't have the flu, but I am not mentally capable of proceeding under these circumstances.

THE CHAIRPERSON: But the witness is here?

MR. VIGNA: The witness is here. It's not the question of the witness. The witness is here. I thought until this morning that I would proceed, but I really don't feel primarily mentally able to proceed, and physically too.

...MR. CHRISTIE: I have heard two explanations which are as frivolous as any I have ever heard in justifying an adjournment of a whole proceeding… To say I am not feeling well, but sit here and talk about it, is inconsistent. There is no medical certificate, and I heard very faintly Mr. Vigna say I'm not physically sick, I don't have a serene state of mind. Very few of us in the difficulties we face always have a serene state of mind. I don't know what that means.

This is not a case of a nervous breakdown or a mental state justifying a psychiatric examination. I am certain of that. To say I don't feel like doing it today is insulting... 

MR. VIGNA: Mr. Chair, I will provide a medical certificate.

THE CHAIRPERSON: Please sit down, Mr. Vigna.

MR. VIGNA: I feel insulted by that comment.

THE CHAIRPERSON: Please sit down.

Not good. Vigna gave his professional promise -- called a lawyer's undertaking -- to give the tribunal a copy of his doctor's note. He never did, and the tribunal has not let him off the hook. So the CHRC -- besides having to pick up the tab for all of the other lawyers who flew to the hearing -- replaced Vigna, also at great cost.

Vigna is apparently still not serene, because he's suing me for mentioning the above facts. He doesn't dispute those facts; he just doesn't like me repeating them.

Well, that's tough. Vigna was a government lawyer, prosecuting a political lawsuit. And his lack of "serenity" cost taxpayers countless thousands of dollars. I would think it's a textbook case of the public interest.

Vigna sued me, with this 86-page monstrosity of a lawsuit -- written in French. (Here is a smaller translation of it.) That's a hoot in itself, because Vigna is fluent in English, I speak English, and the words he's suing me about are in English, too. But it's just his own lame attempt at "maximum disruption". He lacks the "grand vision" of Richard Warman, who schemes with street hoodlums to throw pies in the face of his opponents. Vigna just punishes me with the language of love!

I should warn Vigna, though: I know Yiddish, and I'm not afraid to raise the stakes in this battle of the mother tongues!

Moral of the story: if you don't want to be called a schlemiel, don't act like a schlemiel. What a goyishe cop.

Folks, this is the second enormous expense I've incurred in a week, the first being the defence in the Warman nuisance suit. If you agree with me that Vigna's mishugenah behaviour was fair game for criticism, and if you hate the fact that, like Warman, Kinsella, Syed Soharwardy and the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities, Vigna is resorting to "lawfare" to fight his political battles, in an attempt to bankrupt me, then please consider chipping in. I'd appreciate the help. The lawsuit isn't fair, and I think I'll win. But that's probably $50,000 down the road -- and Vigna et al. are hoping I won't be able to survive that long. Please help me prove him wrong.

I remain grateful to you and the many supporters who have helped me survive so far. I promise to keep fighting.