Defamation laws protect the reputation of individuals. It applies to any act, whether it be spoken, written or even publishing images, that harms a person or could harm them by spoiling their reputation. Defamation can apply to every activity whether it is something that is said in public, on television, in printed material or on social media. However, this list is not exhaustive.
The test of whether something is defamatory turns on general community standards. If, based on these standards it could be said that the material discredits a person’s reputation, defamation could arise.
If you want to take legal action, you need to give us the exact words spoken or written, gestures or images used and where possible take records (screen captures of online publications and notes of what was said verbally). Text messages can also be defamatory if they have been circulated, so they should be recorded as well.
