Slander and Libel

As two of the most established areas of English law, slander and libel laws exist to protect people from the effects of having incorrect or malicious claims made against them.  Slander means verbal accusations that have a detrimental effect on a person’s character but are not recorded directly.  Libel is a more permanent form of accusation that generally has a more severe impact on a person such as publication in a newspaper, magazine or book.  However, courts have recently been finding in favour of an increasing number of libel claims, such as those that are spoken by one but written down by another or published on-line.

In the last decade changes in the law have made it easier to bring a case for slander or libel, as solicitors can now act on a 'no win-no fee' basis.  The benefit being that, even if a claimant is unsure whether or not their claim is strong enough to warrant compensation, they can bring their case, provided they can find a solicitor willing to take the case on!

Therefore, it is more important than ever for publishers to receive the correct advice on any potentially contentious content, because if they are sued and lose, not only will they have to pay compensation, they will also have to pay the claimant’s legal costs, plus a bonus fee to the claimant's solicitor as a reward for the risk of taking the case on.