Overview
Defamation Litigation refers to any act of making false or malicious statements that damage an individual’s or a business’s reputation. Defamation primarily includes libel (written defamation) and slander (spoken defamation), as well as other forms of reputational harm, such as false accusations or unauthorized use of one’s likeness.
Legal Standards for Defamation
In Ontario, a defamation claim must satisfy the following elements:
False Statement: The statement must be untrue. Statements of fact that are accurate do not constitute defamation.
Publication: The false statement must have been communicated to a third party, not merely between the parties involved.
Reputational Harm: The statement must cause substantial damage to the subject’s reputation—such as loss of social standing, professional opportunities, or financial harm.
Lack of Justification: The defendant must be unable to prove that they had a legitimate reason to publish the information. For example, statements made by the media in the public interest and based on truth generally do not constitute defamation.
In Ontario, the core elements of a defamation claim are that a false statement caused harm to someone’s reputation and that the statement was communicated to a third party. Victims may bring a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages or other legal remedies.
Expertise
At AEGIS Law, we offer comprehensive defamation legal services to help clients address complex issues such as false accusations, defamation, and violations of personality rights. Our experienced legal team is dedicated to providing professional support to victims, ensuring their reputation and legal rights are fully protected. Our defamation services include:
Defamation
Slander: False information communicated orally that damages an individual’s reputation.
Libel: False information disseminated in written form (such as articles, social media posts, etc.) that harms a person’s reputation.
Online Defamation / Cyber Libel: With the rise of the internet, online defamation cases have become increasingly common. This involves publishing false, reputation-damaging statements through platforms like social media, blogs, or websites. Such cases focus on identifying the source of the statements and proving that the statements caused actual harm.
Malicious Prosecution
Malicious Prosecution refers to situations where an individual suffers unfair legal proceedings or prosecution due to false accusations. The core of such cases is proving that the initiating party acted with malice or without reasonable grounds in bringing the action, resulting in reputational harm or financial loss to the defendant.
Misappropriation of Personality
Cases involving Misappropriation of Personality concern the unauthorized use of an individual’s likeness, name, or identity—particularly in commercial advertising—that results in harm to the person’s privacy rights or economic interests. The key focus in such cases is proving that the likeness or identity was used without consent and that such use caused actual harm or financial loss.
Defamation of Public Figures
Defamation cases involving public figures require a higher standard of proof. Public figures—such as politicians, actors, and corporate executives—must demonstrate that the defendant acted with actual malice when disseminating false information. This means the defendant either knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for its truth or falsity.
Injurious Falsehood
Injurious Falsehood typically involves the dissemination of false statements in a commercial context that harm another party’s business reputation or the reputation of their products. This type of claim is intended to protect businesses or individuals from suffering economic loss due to maliciously false statements.
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, IIED
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED) involves intentionally causing another person severe emotional pain or distress through extreme or outrageous conduct or statements. The key in such cases is proving that the defendant’s actions were deliberate and egregious, resulting in significant psychological harm to the victim.
见解
庆历四年春，滕子京谪守巴陵郡。越明年，政通人和，百废具兴，乃重修岳阳楼，增其旧制，刻唐贤今人诗赋于其上，属予作文以记之。(具 通：俱)
予观夫巴陵胜状，在洞庭一湖。衔远山，吞长江，浩浩汤汤，横无际涯，朝晖夕阴，气象万千，此则岳阳楼之大观也，前人之述备矣。然则北通巫峡，南极潇湘，迁客骚人，多会于此，览物之情，得无异乎？
若夫淫雨霏霏，连月不开，阴风怒号，浊浪排空，日星隐曜，山岳潜形，商旅不行，樯倾楫摧，薄暮冥冥，虎啸猿啼。登斯楼也，则有去国怀乡，忧谗畏讥，满目萧然，感极而悲者矣。(隐曜 一作：隐耀；淫雨 通：霪雨)
至若春和景明，波澜不惊，上下天光，一碧万顷，沙鸥翔集，锦鳞游泳，岸芷汀兰，郁郁青青。而或长烟一空，皓月千里，浮光跃金，静影沉璧，渔歌互答，此乐何极！登斯楼也，则有心旷神怡，宠辱偕忘，把酒临风，其喜洋洋者矣。
嗟夫！予尝求古仁人之心，或异二者之为，何哉？不以物喜，不以己悲，居庙堂之高则忧其民，处江湖之远则忧其君。是进亦忧，退亦忧。然则何时而乐耶？其必曰“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”乎！噫！微斯人，吾谁与归？
团队
经，常道也。其在于天，谓之命；其赋于人，谓之性。其主于身，谓之心。心也，性也，命也，一也。通人物，达四海，塞天地，亘古今，无有乎弗具，无有乎弗同，无有乎或变者也，是常道也。其应乎感也，则为恻隐，为羞恶，为辞让，为是非；其见于事也，则为父子之亲，为君臣之义，为夫妇之别，为长幼之序，为朋友之信。是恻隐也，羞恶也，辞让也，是非也；是亲也，义也，序也，别也，信也，一也。皆所谓心也，性也，命也。通人物，达四海，塞天地，亘古今，无有乎弗具，无有乎弗同，无有乎或变者也，是常道也。
评价
柳子名愚溪而居。五日，溪之神夜见梦曰：“子何辱予，使予为愚耶？有其实者，名固从之，今予固若是耶？予闻闽有水，生毒雾厉气，中之者，温屯沤泄，藏石走濑，连舻糜解；有鱼焉，锯齿锋尾面兽蹄。是食人，必断而跃之，乃仰噬焉，故其名曰恶溪。西海有水，散涣而无力，不能负芥，投之则委靡垫没，及底而后止，故其名曰弱水。秦有水，掎汩泥淖，挠混沙砾，视之分寸，眙若睨壁，浅深险易，昧昧不觌。乃合泾渭，以自漳秽迹，故其名曰浊泾。雍之西有水，幽险若漆，不知其所出，故其名曰黑水。夫恶、弱，六极也。浊，黑，贱名也。彼得之而不辞，穷万世而不变者，有其实也。今予甚清且美，为子所喜，而又功可以及圃畦，力可以载方舟，朝夕者济焉。子幸择而居予，而辱以无实之名以为愚，卒不见德而肆其诬，岂终不可革耶？”
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