Looking for advice from a Solicitor

[117 M34]

Don't waste your money on a solicitor. Just put it all on here we will help between us

 

[117 M34]

You stand little chance in this area.
Essentially, if you're libeled or slandered (in your eyes) - you have to prove the other person KNEW it to be a lie, and that you suffered substantial financial loss as a result.
The defendant only has to claim they believed it to be true.

If you're the defendant, you should be fine! ;-)

So if i said that i believed it to be true that a generic united player was a rapist and murderer i am ok

 

[meeesh]

Don't waste your money on a solicitor. Just put it all on here we will help between us

I've a good mind to mate

 

[FanchesterCity]

So if i said that i believed it to be true that a generic united player was a rapist and murderer i am ok

You would be ask to explain why you believed it to be true. If you could justify that belief, then yes. You would have a hard time justifying that without evidence that supported it.
If you said a United player was a 'bit of a wanker' - you'd have more justification and you'd be expressing an honest opinion.

If you try to assert something as fact, and you can't back up why you believed it to be fact, then the courts would probably assume you knowingly lied (thus didn't didn't reasonably hold the belief in the first place).

If you assert an opinion, it's a different matter, although you should still provide decent reasons why it's your opinion.

You can't say 'in my opinion - so and so is a murderer and rapist' and expect to get away with 'in my opinion' though - not unless you have some decent evidence to support that opinion. An example might be if a case rape / murder trial went to court, and the defendant was found not guilty. You MIGHT be able to justify a belief that the courts got it wrong, and that the defendant was indeed guilty, but even then, you'd be treading on very thin ice.

However, if a bloke in the pub tells another bloke that you've been having affair with his wife, and he reasonably believes that to be the case, you'll have a hard time getting any damages.

 

[dickie davies]

My brother in law tried to sue for slander from an article in a satirical magazine
He first asked for two things, an apology and them to print that what they had written was in fact a joke and they refused, so he went to a solicitor and in two years got absolutely nowhere with his complaint

 

[FanchesterCity]

My brother in law tried to sue for slander from an article in a satirical magazine
He first asked for two things, an apology and them to print that what they had written was in fact a joke and they refused, so he went to a solicitor and in two years got absolutely nowhere with his complaint

It would be libel in that case - libel is when the defamation takes place in a permanent form (including broadcast or public performance), and slander in a more transitory oral form (everyday conversation).

 

[dickie davies]

It would be libel in that case - libel is when the defamation takes place in a permanent form (including broadcast or public performance), and slander in a more transitory oral form (everyday conversation).

It was libel as you have correctly pointed out, but he still didn't get anywhere with it or a retraction

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Don't waste your money on a solicitor. Just put it all on here we will help between us

Amen to that....I went to a solicitor to chase some money,nothing....came on here, job done in 2 weeks. Tell us your tale of woe.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Sorry mate,libel/slander area

Just let it go, is the best advice

 

[meeesh]

Just let it go, is the best advice

Your right mate,but it's gone a bit serious really,and it is business not a personal matter,I'm torn what to do