Libel And Slander in United States

Practical Information

Note: Some of this information was last updated in 1982

That which tends to injure the reputation of a living person or the memory of a deceased person, and to expose that person to public hatred, disgrace, ridicule, or contempt, or to exclude him or her from society, is known as defamation. Slander is oral defamation of one person by another in the presence of a third person or persons; libel is written or printed defamation of one person by another published before a third person or persons. A corporation is a person in this sense. For a slanderous statement to be actionable, it must be false and must cause injury to the person to whom the statement refers. In libel actions, no injury need be proved, although, of course, proved injury will affect the amount of damages awarded.

Libelous letter

. For a letter to be libelous it must have been read by someone other than the person defamed.

Libel (in admiralty practice)

The initial pleading on the part of the complainant in an admiralty (in U.S. law) action, corresponding to the complaint (in U.S. law) in a common law (in U.S. law) action.

(Revised by Ann De Vries)

What is Libel And Slander?

For a meaning of it, read Libel And Slander in the Legal Dictionary here. Browse and search more U.S. and international free legal definitions and legal terms related to Libel And Slander.

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See Also

Public Figure; Terrorism.

Freedom of the Press.

Common Law ; First Amendment ; New York Times v. Sullivan ; Sedition Acts ; Zenger Trial

Gossip.

MASSACRE

press, freedom of the.

Further Reading (Books)

Lewis, Anthony. Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment. New York: Random House, 1991.

Rosenberg, Norman L. Protecting the “Best Men”: An Interpretive History of the Law of Libel. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1985.

See N. L. Rosenberg, Protecting the Best Men: An Interpretive History of the Law of Libel (1986); R. A. Smolla, Suing the Press (1986); A. Lewis, Make No Law: The Sullivan Law and the First Amendment (1991).

Smolla, Rodney. Jerry Falwell vs. Larry Flynt: The First Amendment on Trial. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1988.

NormanRosenberg

Libel And Slander in State Statute Topics

Introduction to Libel And Slander (State statute topic)

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Resources

Further Reading

• Information about Libel And Slander in the Gale Encyclopedia of American Law.