Legal Action: If the defamatory statement continues or the harm to your reputation persists, you may consider pursuing legal action. To do so, you can file a defamation lawsuit in the courts of Trinidad and Tobago.
To all intents and purposes, defamation claims currently have to be issued in the High Court.
VMalicious defamatory Libel, by Imprisonment or Fine. And be it enacted, That if any Person shall maliciously publish any defamatory Libel, every such Person, being convicted thereof, shall be liable to Fine or Imprisonment or both, as the Court may award, such Imprisonment not to exceed the Term of One Year.
A Claimant starts court proceedings by filing a document known as a 'Claim Form' at the Court Registry. The Claim Form very briefly states who the Defendant is, why the Claimant is suing him and what remedy he is seeking.
The statement must be untrue and presented as a factual claim rather than an opinion to be defamation. Additionally, there must be evidence that the statement caused or has the potential to cause significant damage to the reputation of the individual or entity targeted.
Section 10 of the Act restricts the court's jurisdiction to hear an action for defamation brought against a person who is not the author, editor or publisher of a statement complained of, unless it is satisfied it is not reasonably practicable for an action to be brought against the author, editor or publisher.
To successfully bring a defamation claim, the claimant must prove the following elements: False Statement. The statement in question must be false. Defamatory Meaning. Publication. Reference to the Claimant. Serious Harm. Limitation Period.
Building Your Defamation Case The first step is to issue a letter under the Defamation Act. You could think of this as a cease and desist letter but its technical name is a concerns notice. If the behaviour does not stop and no apology is given, the next step is to commence court proceedings.
What does a defamed person need to prove in court? publication of a statement (verbal and/or written); the defamer must intend to defame a person; there must be harm or injury; and. the publication must violate a person's right to his/her good name, reputation and dignity.