Libel

Summary of Libel

A lawsuit in admiralty jurisdiction.

(Main Author: William J. Miller)

Introduction to Libel

Libel, in law, a communication (whether by word or picture) about a living person or an organization, made to at least one person other than its subject, which damages the subject’s reputation. Technically, a written defamation is libel and a spoken one is slander. In the past, some libelous communications were punished even if true. Today, however, only false statements can be termed libel.

American libel law originally was based on Anglo-Saxon common law tradition. Common law privileges were developed slowly over centuries. They now coexist to an uncertain extent with rapidly expanding constitutional privileges.” (1)

Will, Libel, Action

From the book The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law, about Will, Libel, Action (1): The will of a priest contained a statement that a relative had received 0 from him for clothing, maintenance, education, etc., and promised to repay it, but paid no part of it. Then testator bequeathed said 0 to two legatees to collect for their own use. The relative filed a petition asking the estate of the priest to be held liable for a libel in the sum of ,000 and the court held that as the right of action did not accrue until after the death of the testator, there was a right of action against the estate. As the case never got beyond the probate court, its authority is doubtful.680

Resources

Notes and References

1. Charles M. Scanlan, The Clergyman’s Hand-book of Law. The Law of Church and Grave (1909), Benziger Brothers, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago

See Also

• Religion
• Church

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Libel in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Libel

Libel in Constitutional Law

From the Comparative Constitutions Project: Libel refers to false and malicious publications or statements for the purpose of defaming a living person