Defamation Flashcards
Prerequisites
- Identifying Libel or Slander
- Is the matter justiciable
- Is the ‘serious harm’ threshold met
- Does C have capacity to sue?
Elements
- D made a defamatory imputation
- The defamatory imputation identified C
- The defamatory imputation was published
Manson v Tussauds test
(which paragraph)
The (CASE) test categorises libel as permanent and slander as transient
(Prerequisite 1 - Libel or Slander)
Youssoupoff v MGM
(Which paragraph)
(CASE) case defines libel as addressed to the eye and slander as addressed to the ear.
(Prerequisite 1 - Libel or Slander)
Maharaja v Eastern Media Group Ltd.
(Which paragraph)
Courts will not rule on claims regarding religious matters or doctrine as found in (CASE)
(Prerequisite 2 - Justiciable)
s.1(1) of the Defamation Act 2013
(Which paragraph)
(STATUTE) requires the claimant to prove that the defamatory statement has caused, or is likely to cause, ‘serious harm’ to their reputation.
(Prerequisite 3 - Serious Harm)
s.1(2) Defamation Act
(Which paragraph)
If the claimant is a company, (STATUTE) requires financial loss to be proven in order to meet the serious harm threshold.
(Prerequisite 3 - Serious Harm)
Lachaux v Independent Print Ltd
(Which paragraph)
(CASE) concluded that the harm must be evidenced by the actual impact on the claimant’s reputation instead of being merely inferred from the content of the statement.
(Prerequisite 3 - Serious Harm)
Blake v Fox
(Which paragraph)
As per (CASE), the facts must be analysed to determine whether the serious harm threshold is met
(Perquisite 3 - Serious Harm)
EETPU v Times Newspaper
(Which paragraph)
Unincorporated Associations do not possess a legal personality and thus do not have the capacity to sue as per (CASE).
(Prerequisite 4 - Capacity to Sue)
McLaughlin v Lambeth Borough Council
(Which paragraph)
Local and governmental authorities do not possess the capacity to sue as per (CASE).
(Prerequisite 4 - Capacity to Sue)
Sim v Stretch
(Which paragraph)
(CASE) holds that the statement must have a tendency to lower the claimant’s reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.
(Element 1 - Defamatory Imputation)
Bestobell Paints v Bigg
(Which paragraph)
(CASE) holds that false innuendos can still be considered defamatory.
(Element 1 - Defamatory Imputation)
Cassidy v Daily Mirror
(Which paragraph)
(CASE) found that true legal innuendos can also be considered defamatory.
(Element 1 - Defamatory Imputation)
Berkoff v Burchill
(Which paragraph)
Statements which expose the claimant to hatred are considered defamatory under (CASE).
(Element 1 - Defamatory Imputation)
Youssoupoff v MGM
(Which paragraph) 2
(CASE) held that statements which cause the claimant to be shunned are also defamatory in nature.
(Element 1 - Defamatory Imputation)
Baturina v Times Newspaper
(Which paragraph)
Under (CASE), facts given in the statement which could lead a reasonable reader to identify the claimant are treated as if the claimant was identified
(Element 2 - Imputation Identified C)
Hayward v Thompson
(Which paragraph)
(CASE) held that this element is satisfied even if the claimant’s identity can be derived from previous publications.
(Element 2 - Imputation Identified C)
E Hulton & Co v Jones
(Which paragraph)
Fictional characters which clearly resemble living persons also satisfy this element as was found in (CASE).
(Element 2 - Imputation Identified C)
Newstead v London Express Newspaper.
(Which paragraph)
Large groups do not satisfy this element as they are too large to identify and ascertain, however, smaller groups do as per (CASE).
(Element 2 - Imputation Identified C)
Definition of ‘Publication’
Publication is defined as communication with at least one third party.
Bezant v Rausing
(Which paragraph)
In order to sue the defendant, the publication must be a natural and probable consequence of the defendant’s actions as found in (CASE).
(Element 3 - Imputation was published)
Bunt v Tilley
(Which paragraph)
An intention to publish is not required, a degree of awareness and/or editorial responsibilities under negligence are sufficient as per (CASE).
(Element 3 - Imputation was published)
Passive Role
However, passive roles which did not play a direct role in publication are not valid.