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Law in 101 words

19 May 2011 / Roderick Ramage
Issue: 7466 / Categories: Blogs
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Snippets from The Reduced Law Dictionary, by Roderick Ramage

Defamation

Defamation is a form of tort. A defamatory statement is one which is made to a third party and disparages a person’s good name or the esteem in which he is held. If it is in writing it is a libel and damage is presumed, but if it is oral it is a slander, which is generally not actionable without proof of special damage. The main defences to a claim for defamation are justification (ie that the words are true), fair comment on a matter of public interest and absolute and qualified privilege. See also the Defamation Acts 1952 and 1996.

Durham fancy goods

In the good old days the Companies Act 1985, s 349 (1948, s 108) imposed personal liability on any person who signed a cheque, order for goods etc in which the company’s name is not properly stated. In Durham a bill of exchange in the name “M Jackson (Fancy Goods) Ltd” was accepted by Mr Jackson without correction. The name should

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NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
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