What are the general damages for defamation?

General damages are presumed from the publication of a defamatory statement and need not be established by proof of actual loss and are assessed at large in light of the circumstances of the case: Hill v. Church of Scientology of Toronto, 1995 CanLII 59 (SCC), [1995] 2 S.C.R. 1130 at para. 164 [Hill]. Aggravated damages may be awarded where the plaintiff proves malice on the part of the defendant, and punitive damages where the degree of misconduct is so substantial that it offends the court’s sense of decency.