A form of publication which tends to cause one to lose the esteem of the community is defamation. This is injury to reputation. A person can be held liable for the defamation of another. In order to prove defamation, the plaintiff must prove:
- that a statement was made about the plaintiff's reputation, honesty or integrity that is not true;
- publication to a third party (i.e., another person hears or reads the statement); and
- the plaintiff suffers damages as a result of the statement.
Slander is a form of defamation that consists of making false oral statements about a person which would damage that person's reputation. If one spreads a rumor that his neighbor has been in jail and this is not true, the person making such false statements could be held liable for slander.
Defamation which occurs by written statements is known as libel. Libel also may result from a picture or visual representation. Truth is an absolute defense to slander or libel.
Some statements, while libelous or slanderous, are absolutely privileged in the sense that the statements can be made without fear of a lawsuit for slander. The best example is statements made in a court of law. An untrue statement made about a person in court which damages that person's reputation will generally not cause liability to the speaker as far as slander is concerned. However, if the statement is untrue, the person making it may be liable for criminal perjury.
If a communication is made in good faith on a subject in which the party communicating it has a legitimate right or interest in communicating it, this communication may be exempt from slander liability due to a qualified privileged.
The following form letter demands that someone cease making libelous or slanderous statements, or appropriate legal action will be taken.
Difference Between Slander And Libel Without A Lawyer In Orange
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This general area of law is called defamation law. Libel and slander are types of defamatory statements.The main difference between libel and slander is the way the defamatory statement is communicated. Libel and slander are both types of defamation. Libel is an untrue defamatory statement that is made in writing. To determine if a statement might form the basis of a lawsuit for defamation you must first understand what is required to prove libel or slander. Libel: Libel is a defamation that is written, such as in a newspaper, magazine or on the internet. Slander is oral and libel is written. Legally, both are called defamation. California law recognizes two types of defamation: libel and slander.
