Libel and Slander Law, definitions.

For months now slander and libel actions have been dominating the news and social media. One of the more high profile cases being that of Amanda Knox, the Amercian student who was acquiited of murdering her roomate Meredith Kercher last October in Italy. Her lawyer Carlo Dallas Vedova said  “Amanda was confused, stressed and pressured. She has been acquitted of murder, and she should be acquitted of slander.”

Modern libel and slander laws originally descended from English defamation law. The first fully reported case in which libel is affirmed generally to be punishable at common law was tried during the reign of James I in the sevententh centuary. The earliest traces of libel actions go back to Roman times. The common Law of libel remains the only area of law that must be heard by a jury even in present times.

The laws governing libel and slander are collectively known as defamation.

So what is Slander?

According to the legal dictionary (freedictionary) slander; “oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an untruth about another which untruth will harm the reputation of the person defamed. Slander is a civil wrong (tort) and can be the basis for a lawsuit.” However, due to the nature of communication, proving slander can be challenging as there is no tangible written record, coupled with this, it is also necessary to establish and prove that actual loss or damage resulted.

What is Libel?

Wikipedia describes; “Libel is defined as defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures. With the growth of publication came the growth of libel and development of the tort of libel.” Interestingly in Libel cases there is tangible written evidence of the defamation, though unlike slander claims  it is not imperative to prove that actual damage transpired from the defame.

Defamation is a complicated area of law. It is therefore essential that you instruct a solicitor who has knowledge and expertise within this disciple.

If you are looking for a libel solicitor and would like legal assistance on a slander or libel matter, please call Stripes Solicitors on 0161 832 5000 we have more then 30 years experience within this discipline