«Consumer report» means any written, oral, or other
communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumer's creditworthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode
of living which (i) is furnished or (ii) is used or expected to be used or collected in
whole or in part for the
purpose of serving as a factor in establishing the consumer's eligibility for:
penalizes the defendant for engaging in public participation «plaintiff» means a person who initiates or maintains a proceeding against a defendant; «proceeding» means any action, suit, matter, cause, counterclaim, appeal, or originating application that is brought in the Supreme Court or the Provincial Court, but does not include a prosecution for an offence or a crime; «public interest» means the
whole of the subject matter invites public attention, or a matter in which the public has some substantial concern because it affects the welfare
of citizens, or one to which considerable public notoriety or controversy has attached; «public participation» means
communication or conduct aimed at influencing public opinion, or promoting further lawful action by the public or any government body, in relation to an issue
of public interest; «Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP)» means a claim that arises from a form
of expression or public participation, by the person against whom the claim is asserted that was made in connection with an official proceeding or about a matter
of public interest;
Purposes of this Act: 2 The
purposes of this Act are to a) Establish a statutory right to public participation for every individual; b) Encourage individuals to express themselves on matters
of public interest; c) Promote broad participation in debates on matters
of public interest; d) Discourage the use
of litigation as a means
of unduly limiting expression on matters
of public interest; and, e) Preserve the right
of access to the courts for all proceedings and claims that are not brought or maintained for an improper
purpose.