What is Slander?
Slander is the act of making false spoken statements that damage a person’s reputation. It is considered a form of defamation and is punishable by law. Slander can cause harm to an individual’s personal and professional life, leading to legal repercussions for the perpetrator.
Elements of Slander
- False Statement: The statement must be proven false and damaging to the individual.
- Publication: The false statement must be communicated to a third party.
- Lack of Privilege: The statement must not be protected by privilege, such as absolute privilege for statements made in court or qualified privilege for statements made in public interest.
- Malice: In some cases, the false statement must be made with malicious intent to harm the individual.
Examples of Slander
An example of slander is spreading false rumors about a coworker stealing from the company, leading to their termination. Another example is falsely accusing a neighbor of being involved in criminal activities, causing harm to their reputation within the community.
Case Studies
In the case of Beck v. Pizza Palace, a customer accused a restaurant of serving expired food, leading to a decline in business. The court ruled in favor of the restaurant, finding the customer guilty of slander for making false statements without evidence.
Statistics on Slander Cases
According to a study by the American Bar Association, slander cases have been on the rise in recent years, with a 10% increase in reported incidents. The majority of slander cases involve false statements made in online forums and social media platforms.
