The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed a bid to appeal by accusers of former University of British Columbia writing professor and novelist Steven Galloway, paving the way for his defamation case against them to go to trial.

Galloway is suing several people he says defamed him with false allegations of sexual assault, including a former student whose name is protected by a publication ban, and others who repeated the statements on social media and elsewhere.

Thursday鈥檚 ruling by Canada鈥檚 high court, which also awarded Galloway costs, effectively upholds a B.C. appeal court finding in January that the alleged defamatory statements were not protected by the province鈥檚 Protection of Public Participation Act.

The appeals had hinged on B.C.鈥檚 law against 鈥渟trategic lawsuits鈥� which aim to 鈥渟ilence or deter鈥� commentary on matters of public interest.

Galloway鈥檚 lawyer, Dan Burnett, says the Supreme Court鈥檚 dismissal of the bid to appeal brings Galloway 鈥渞elief鈥� and opens the door for a trial to 鈥渃lear his name鈥� after more than five years of denying the assault allegations.

Burnett says getting Galloway鈥檚 case to trial is a priority after clearing the high court, and he says his client鈥檚 reputation was 鈥渄evastated鈥� by the allegations and 鈥渢he legal process is how you address that.鈥�

Lawyers for the defendants Chelsea Rooney, Keith Maillard, Annabel Lyon, Marcelle Kosman, Mandi Gray, Kiera Anderson, Ari Rombough and a former student identified as A.B. did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Galloway is the author of novels including 鈥淭he Cellist of Sarajevo鈥� and 鈥淭he Confabulist鈥�.