The applicant, Antonio Caruso, brought an application under s. 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act (anti-SLAPP provisions) seeking to stay disciplinary proceedings against him at the Law Society Tribunal and for declarations regarding the Law Society of Ontario's conduct.
The court, on its own initiative, considered dismissing the application under Rule 2.1.01 for being frivolous, vexatious, or an abuse of process.
The court found it lacked jurisdiction to dismiss tribunal proceedings under s. 137.1, noted the absence of a civil proceeding to which s. 137.1 could apply, and determined that the relief sought properly belonged before the Tribunal or Divisional Court.
The application was dismissed as frivolous, vexatious, and an abuse of process, duplicating issues already before the Tribunal and potentially the Court of Appeal.
