False Statements

A declaratory judgment is a binding judgment from a court defining the legal relationship between parties and their rights in a matter before the court. Typically, a party will first send a cease and desist letter prior to seeking declaratory judgment from a court.

A court-issued declaratory judgment outlines the rights and responsibilities of each involved party. This judgment does not require action or award damages. It helps to resolve disputes and prevent lawsuits.

If the statement is made in writing and published, the defamation is called "libel." If the hurtful statement is spoken, the statement is "slander." Defamation is considered to be a civil wrong or a tort.

Written defamation is called "libel," while spoken defamation is called "slander." Defamation is not a crime, but it is a "tort" (a civil wrong, rather than a criminal wrong). A person who has been defamed can sue the person who did the defaming for damages.

Reputational damages are a common consequence of defamation. A plaintiff's testimony alone may be insufficient to obtain an award for reputational damages. The best way to prove harm to your reputation is to offer third-party testimony or objective evidence of damage to your reputation.

Defamation. Defamation is the general term for a legal claim involving injury to one's reputation caused by a false statement of fact and includes both libel (defamation in written or fixed form) and slander (spoken defamation).

Overview. Defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements).

A newspaper that publishes false information about a person, for example, can be sued for libel.Because such liability can be staggering, most journalists strive to exercise their freedom to publish in a responsible and ethical manner.

In South African law, the onus of proof is on the person claiming that an act of defamation has occurred and he or she must submit proof that the violation was indeed wrongful. It is not one of the requirements of defamation for the statements or actions to be false.