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Some states codify what constitutes slander and libel together into the same set of laws. Some states have criminal libel laws on the books, though these are old laws which are very infrequently prosecuted. Washington State has held its criminal libel statute unconstitutional applying the state and federal constitutions to the question. [13]
A comprehensive discussion of what is and is not libel or slander under American law is difficult, as the definition differs between different states and is further affected by federal law. [80] Some states codify what constitutes slander and libel together, merging the concepts into a single defamation law. [54]
First, false statements of fact can lead to civil liability if they are "said with a sufficiently culpable mental state". [8] This possibly includes conscious lies about military service. [9] The second category is a subset of the first: knowingly false statements (deliberate lies). [8] This includes things like libel and slander.
Substantial truth is a legal doctrine affecting libel and slander laws in common law jurisdictions such as the United States or the United Kingdom. United States law
Defamation law has a long history stretching back to classical antiquity. While defamation has been recognized as an actionable wrong in various forms across historical legal syst
Libel and slander laws fall under this category. Third, negligently false statements of fact may lead to civil liability in some instances. [21] Lastly, some implicit statements of fact—those that have a "false factual connotation"—can also fall under this exception. [22] [23] There is also a fifth category of analysis.
Modern libel and slander laws in many countries are originally descended from English defamation law.The history of defamation law in England is somewhat obscure; civil actions for damages seem to have been relatively frequent as far back as the Statute of Gloucester in the reign of Edward I (1272–1307). [1]
“The law as to fair comment, so far as is material to the present case, stands as follows: In the first place, comment in order to be justifiable as fair comment must appear as comment and must not be so mixed up with the facts that the reader cannot distinguish between what is report and what is comment: see Andrews v.