Defamation glossary of terms

We have provided a glossary of terms to help guide you through defamation cases and the law

Claimant – person who is taking legal action for defamation.

Defendant – person who is being accused of making defamatory statement.

Defamation – the ‘’publishing of a statement that tends to lower one in the estimation of right thinking members of society’’.

Libel – publication in permanent form of a defamatory comment (e.g. in written form).

Slander – publication of a defamatory statement in transitory form (e.g. a verbal comment).

Publisher – anybody who participated in the publication of the defamatory statement. This is interpreted very widely.