The National Post has been ordered to pay Oak Bay MLA and internationally known climate scientist Andrew Weaver $50,000 in damages for defaming him in four articles published in late 2009 and early 2010.

“I’m thrilled. The judgment is absolutely wonderful,” said Weaver, the Green MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head.

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“They attributed statements to me I had never made. They accused me of things I had never done and they attacked me for views I’d never held. They refused to retract it, so I had no choice.”

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Emily Burke concluded the National Post newspaper, and its writers Terence Corcoran, Peter Foster and Kevin Libin “have been careless or indifferent to the accuracy of the facts. As evident from the testimony of the defendants, they were more interested in espousing a particular view than assessing the accuracy of the facts.”

Burke found the defamation was serious and that a significant award was appropriate. “The evidence establishes Dr. Weaver was deeply affected by what he perceived as a barrage of articles impugning his integrity and academic reputation,” Burke wrote in her 62-page judgment.

She ordered the National Post to remove the offending articles from any electronic databases under the control of the newspaper and to withdraw consent to third parties to republish the defamatory material.

Burke also ordered the National Post to publish a complete retraction of the defamatory material in the hardcopy National Post, on Internet sites and in electronic databases — in a form agreed to by Weaver.

“That’s something that’s very important to me,” Weaver said.

His lawyer will approach the newspaper next week to discuss the retraction and the costs of the court case, he said.

“I’m reasonably confident I’ll get costs,” Weaver said.

“But I think when all is said and done, it will become a wash in terms of the award. At least, I’ll get my expenses back because this is not a trivial amount.”

The National Post could not be reached for comment.

In late 2009 and early 2010, the newspaper published four articles with the headlines Weaver’s Web, Weaver’s Web II, Climate Agency Going Up In Flames, and So Much for Pure Science.

At the time, Weaver was a professor in the school of earth and ocean sciences at the University of Victoria.

In April 2010, Weaver brought an action for libel against the newspaper. He said the articles implied he attempted to divert public attention from a scandal involving “Climategate” and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change by fabricating stories about the involvement of the fossil fuel industry with break-ins at his office.

Weaver also claimed the articles suggested he was untrustworthy, unscientific and incompetent, and that he distorted and concealed scientific data to promote a public agenda and receive government funding.

He also complained about defamatory comments posted on the National Post website.

ldickson@timescolonist.com

The judgment is available online at courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/SC/15/01/2015BCSC0165.htm