Libel and Slander

Libel and slander laws are some of the most well established areas of English law, and exist to protect natural and legal persons from the effect of incorrect malicious claims made against them. Slander concerns verbal accusations made against you, which are not recorded directly, but nonetheless have a detrimental effect on your character. Libel concerns more 'permanent' forms of accusation, such as publication in a book or newspaper, and generally has more severe consequences. However, in recent years, courts have been willing to find an increasing amount of claims, such as those spoken but written down by another, or those written on-line, as libel.

Changes in the law in the last decade have made it easier than ever to bring a case for libel or slander, as lawyers are now allowed to act on a 'no win, no fee' basis. The benefit for the claimant in this case has been that, even if they are unsure whether the claims are strong enough to warrant compensation, and a finding of libel or slander, they can bring their case anyway, as long as they can find a lawyer willing to take the case on. What this means is that it is more important than ever to receive correct advice on any potentially contentious information that you wish to publish, as the cost of a successful claim has also gone up, due to the fact that the losing party has to pay the victim's compensation, their legal costs, and also a 'bonus' fee to the claimant's lawyer, as reward for the risk of taking the case on.