Can a corporation defend itself in an Ontario Superior Court lawsuit without hiring a lawyer?

Generally, no — unlike an individual, a corporation is normally required to be represented by a lawyer in Ontario's Superior Court civil process, rather than having a director, officer, or employee appear and argue the case on its behalf. This reflects the basic legal principle that a corporation is a separate legal entity from the people who own or run it, and courts have historically treated appearing in court as something that requires legal training a corporate representative typically doesn't have. A corporation can still ask the court for permission to be represented by someone other than a lawyer, such as a director, but this generally requires bringing a motion and showing good reason, such as the cost of legal representation being disproportionate to what's at stake.

Even where that kind of permission is granted, it's typically the exception rather than the rule, and courts remain cautious about it given the same underlying concerns about proper legal representation. Corporations facing an Ontario Superior Court lawsuit should generally plan on retaining a lawyer, and factor legal costs into their overall assessment of a dispute, rather than assuming a director can simply step in the way an individual defendant could represent themselves.