Defamation Solicitors Norwich

Defamation online, privacy and media law

Reputations are important

Reputations which have been nurtured for a lifetime of achievement can be damaged in seconds by the media or malicious third parties.

Defamation Injunctions

If you know that you are to be the source of a publication or broadcast to protect your privacy an injunction can be obtained from the Court which orders the Defendant not to publish or broadcast.

Defamation –Slander 

Defamation covers slander, which is words or gestures, libel covers non-spoken reputational damage such as in print, by television or even on a website.

To have a claim for defamation we must show that your reputation or what people think about you has been reduced as a result of the publication by the third party.

You can even look for hidden meanings in words which generally would not contain abuse if this can be read into the specific circumstances.

Slander

One of the mistakes that people usually make with slander is to think that if the remark is made to them then they have been defamed. If no one else overhears the remark there cannot be defamation as the remark is private and although hurtful it is  made only to you.

When you are successful in defamation you can obtain a Court order to prevent the words being said or published again, and also compensation to account for the damage or harm done to your reputation and also hurt feelings.

Defamation Time limits

You must move quickly in defamation, as you only have 12 months from the date of the words being said or the publication to start your Court case.

Costs

We are prepared to offer No-Win-No-Fee (Conditional Fee Agreements) in relation to defamation actions, which means that you will not be put to expense in relation to taking the action to Court for your own solicitors costs, which for most people is a huge relief.

Defamation Mediation

We have successfully negotiated several defamation cases to a successful conclusion and we recommend mediation as a less stressful and more direct method for obtaining what you need quickly, rather than through the Court system.

Godfrey Morgan is a CEDR accredited mediator with lots of experience of representing parties as their advisor in a mediation environment.

Defamation online/ abuse online

Over the last 5 years we have seen a real trend towards abuse online and online defamation.

One remark can easily be transmitted to hundreds of users and also retained on the internet for many years as Google threads.

Even though the defamation occurs online you can still pursue a claim for compensation for the damage to your reputation, and in certain circumstances threads can be removed.

Problems with libel and slander actions

As with the entire English Court system if the person who abuses you does not have money or assets to pay you compensation it is not worth starting the case. We can help with pre-litigation searches to see if the target is worth it for you and also for us.

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