A Quebec judge has ordered comedian Mike Ward to pay a $35,000 fine to a disabled boy for joking about him in material Ward used from 2010 to 2013.
Ward, 46, has pledged not to pay the fine and plans to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. The courtâs decision brought a partial win to Ward by cutting a $7,000 fine Quebecâs government ordered the comedian to pay to the boyâs mother.
âComedy is not a crime. In a âfreeâ country, it shouldnât be up to a judge to decide what constitutes a joke on stage,â Ward said in a Thursday statement after the decision. âThe people in attendance laughing already answered that question.â
“Iâm telling you right now, I would rather go to prison than pay even one-tenth of this stupid fine,â Ward said.
My verdict just came in. Thought I should set the record straight. I lost, kind of, but not really.
(version française du texte sur Facebook (@mikewardca)) pic.twitter.com/I7qtmud6Sg
— Mike Ward (@MikeWardca) November 28, 2019
The Quebec Human Rights Tribunal fined Ward $42,000 in 2016 for telling a joke about Jeremy Gabriel, 22, who suffers a condition that results in facial deformities and affects his hearing. The tribunal ordered Ward to pay $35,000 in damages to Gabriel and another $7,000 to Gabrielâs mother.
Ward had joked critically about Gabrielâs singing. Wardâs material included several factual errors that Ward included for exaggeration.
“Humor, especially the kind of humor that Mr. Ward practices, can appeal to sarcasm, mockery, and even insult. The border between a limitation to freedom of expression in the name of dignity and censorship is thin,” the Quebec court ruled. “Comedians must realize, however, that artistic freedom is not absolute and that they, like all citizens, are responsible for the consequences of their words when they cross certain limits.”
