Definition Of Defamation

The legal issues, in this case, is the defendant, who published the story about the plaintiff, liable for defamation of character and invasion of privacy? The matter of whether Baba Wawa is guilty of defamation happens when she publishes a photo of Howard Huge implying that he was mad and choking the dog. Beauty Queen was cringing and then goes on to make a statement that couple declined to permit the dogs to be seen and that no one had seen the dogs since the photos were taken. The publication and statement ruin the couple’s image. Their friends are avoiding them, and they are not enabling them to show the dogs. There is also an issue of whether the Star News is guilty of defamation by allowing Baba Wawa to distribute the story using their publication. The matter of whether Baba Wawa is guilty of invasion of privacy occurs when she takes pictures of the two without their permission.

In case of language, section 6 of the SOA included ‘insulting’ or ‘profane’ in the old Act in the term ‘offensive’. Also it did not specify the subject of the language. The scope of the Parliament’s response in case of language was extended as deciding by relevant community standards. The subject of the offence was also extended to ‘a member of the public’. The behaviours subject to this section were broader as the court would not limit to define an offence under the Act.

during the incident. The distinction between crime and torts is that crime is a conduct of shown

28. Slander -The action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation

General limitations on free speech are libel, slander, obscenity, child pornography, incitement, offensive words, fighting words, classified information, copyright violation, sedition, and various other limitations. The offense principle is used to prohibit forms of expression that some consider offensive to society, groups, or individuals. For example, free speech is limited in many jurisdictions to broad varying standards by legal systems, religious offense, and incitement to ethnic or racial hatred laws. Legal systems and society have limits on the free speech, especially when it clashes with other values or rights. Limitations of speech may abide by the "harm principle" or the "offense principle", for example in the case of child pornography or racial

Charles Lawrence evokes that racist speech should be regulated to avert defaming the minorities in “On Racist Speech” from the Chronicle of Higher Education. The article addresses that racial insults do not deserve to be under the First Amendment because “the perpetrator’s intention is to injure the victim” (Lawrence 2087). After all, the Supreme Court has asserted that if the perpetrator’s intention is to “inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace”, then they are not protected under the First Amendment (Lawrence 2086). The racist slurs on the university campus was one of the vexed topics since students should have “the right of an equal education in a safe environment” rather than being surrounded by verbal

In Canada, when someone feels they have been wronged or injured by another, they can seek compensation through the courts. This area of law is known as tort law which examines conduct and consequences (Lin, 2010, p. 4). Tort law does not rely on promises or contracts. It is an area of law that examines the obligations and duties one party has to another. In relation to business and professionals, tort law aims to change the behavior of producers to prevent future harm or loss (Lin, 2010, p. 9).

Weinfelds action by placing the flyers at the Welling’s’ education system and workplace showed the “act of reckless disregard.” The court looks at the difference between publicity and publication with regard to “false light.” Publication is the relation of information to a third party where publicity is the communication made to a large public

University of Sydney, Law School. Hate Crime and Vilification Law: Developments and Directions. 28 August 2009, available at:

The famous poet James Russell Lowell once said, “Reputation is only a candle, of wavering and uncertain flame, and easily blown out, but it is the light by which the world looks for and finds merit” . Reality stresses the importance to be more concerned with personal character than self reputation, because character beholds who you really are, while your reputation is merely what others perceive. The epic of Beowulf, written in Old English, describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. Having an outstanding reputation was an important aspect of life, and in the world of Beowulf it was no different.

Libel simply is "defamation of character by published word", the publishing of falsities to hurt a person's reputation or standing. However, now it is not limited to only printed word as in newspapers or magazines. Slander, which is defined as "defamation of character by spoken word" is now portrayed as a form

Hate speech, what is it? The definition of hate speech, according to Mari J. Matsuda, author of "Assaultive Speech and Academic Freedom, is "…(a word of group of words) of which is to wound and degrade by asserting the inherent inferiority of a group" (151). In my own words hate speech is a humiliation and demeaning slur of words specifically used to disgrace a person for their race, religion, or sexual habits. There is now a controversy if hate speech should be regulated on college campuses or not. I have read a few articles with the author being either for or against regulating hate speech. My opinion is that yes, we should regulate hate speech on college campuses.

A conflicting idea arises when irresponsible people take advantage of the various freedoms of speech and use it as a tolerant to do others verbal harm. If someone bullies an individual and posts hateful things toward them on the internet, does freedom of speech sustain that? Freedom of speech is the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint1. If someone says or posts something verbally harsh about someone else, are they not voicing their opinion on that particular individual?

By definition defamation is the act of injuring someone’s character or reputation by false statements. Cases of defamation are only considered attacks on if they are made in a vindictive or malicious manner. The person’s name is considered not only personal but proprietary right of reputation. Defamation is synonymous with the words libel and slander in terms of law. Defamation is a term that encompasses both libel and slander. Libel is a term used to describe visual defamation; as in newspaper articles or misleading pictures. Slander describes defamation that you can hear, not see. It is mostly oral statements that tarnish someone’s reputation.

The case Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire stated that there are some classes of speech that are limited. They are the lewd, the obscene, the profane, the libelous, and the insulting words. When spoken they encourage fighting and so is a disturbance of peace (Stone, Seidman). Therefore, the courts have created laws that will protect a person against libel and slander.