What are defamation, libel and slander, and what is the difference between them?
Defamation is the injuring of a persons character or reputation by making false and malicious statements about them. Libel and slander are both forms of defamation. Libel is defamation involving written or printed statements. Slander is defamation involving oral statements. To recover for defamation you must show that the defendant made the defamatory statement to a third party, i.e. not to you alone. Actual malice means statements made with ill will, or wrongful motive. The defendant in a defamation case may always avoid liability by showing that the statement made is substantially true.
