Find a Solicitor to help with Slander

When false statements are made with the intent to harm your reputation, it is known as defamation. If these false statements are spoken, they fall under the category of slander. 

Slander can have a significant impact on your life, affecting your career, reputation, personal relationships, and finances.

If you believe you are a victim of slander, legal recourse is available to protect your reputation and seek damages. To find out how our solicitors can help, get a free no-obligation case assessment from our expert legal team today. 

What is slander? 

Slander is when false statements are verbally made about someone, and these statements damage their reputation. 

Slanderous statements can take various forms, including spreading false rumours about someone, including in the workplace. 

What is the difference between slander and libel? 

Both libel and slander involve damaging someone’s reputation through false statements, but libellous statements are written or published, while slander is spoken. 

This distinction is important because whether a defamatory statement is libellous or slanderous can impact the available legal remedies and the burden of proof in pursuing the case.

Is it illegal to slander someone?

Slander is not considered a criminal offence in the UK. Instead, it’s classed as a civil wrong.

This means that while slandering someone may not lead to criminal charges, a person committing slander may be held liable in a civil court. 

Victims of slander in the UK have the right to take legal action against a slanderer and seek compensation for any losses or damages that result from false verbal statements. 

What should I do if someone slanders me?

To start a slander claim, you should follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Media and Communications Claims by first sending a letter of claim to the defendant, which includes:

• Your name;
• What the problem is;
• Why the case should be dealt with where you live;
• If you're getting help to pay for legal costs;
• Where the false statement was made, when it happened, and how it was communicated (spoken, written, etc.);
• Clarification of what's inaccurate or unsupportable about the statement;
• An explanation of how the slander caused or could cause serious harm;
• Details of specific losses, like losing customers or your job due to the statement.

The purpose of the Pre-Action Protocol is to encourage both sides to try and solve the issue early without going to court. It should be followed even if you're representing yourself in a slander case.

If the matter can't be resolved through the Protocol, you can start court proceedings. Slander claims must be filed with the High Court. This can sometimes be done online or with the help of a solicitor.

If you believe you are the victim of slander in the UK, it’s important to act quickly.

The time limit for bringing a slander claim is one year from the date the slanderous statement was made.

How do I prove slander? 

If someone says something untrue about you, you need to have witnesses who hear it.

This is because, unlike libel (which happens in writing), slander isn't recorded. Therefore, it's important to talk to anyone who heard the false statement and get written statements from them, confirming what was said.

For a successful slander claim, your case must meet the following criteria:

1. The slanderous statement must be presented as a fact, not an opinion; 
2. The false statement should have been communicated through a third party (i.e. in an interview on television); 
3. The false statement should have caused actual damage to the victim (i.e. losing their job). 

To win a slander case, you need to provide evidence of the above and, in some cases, you may need to disprove defenses.

For example, the defendant might claim that the spoken statement was an honestly held opinion rather than a fact. 

This process is not always straightforward and can be time-consuming. In some cases, finding witnesses can be hard, especially if they believe the false statement.

If you think your case meets these criteria, get a free case assessment today. Our expert legal assessment team are experienced in defamation law and can help guide you through the processes of pursuing a slander claim. 

How do I prove I've suffered loss because of slander?

To win a slander case, you usually need to prove you've suffered both actual financial loss and serious harm to your reputation. This is different from libel cases, where proof of serious harm to your reputation is enough.

Actual financial loss means real money problems, like losing your job, missing a promotion, losing your business, or having to find alternative accommodation.

Importantly, these losses need to have happened as a direct result of the false statements about you to support your slander claim.

Examples of slander 

As we’ve noted, slander refers to false spoken statements that harm a person’s reputation such as:

• Spreading a spoken rumour that someone stole from a workplace without any evidence; 
• Making baseless claims about a colleague engaging in unethical behaviour in their profession; 
• Spreading false statements about an individual committing fraud without any evidence; 
• Making untrue statements about someone’s personal life, like spreading rumours about their relationships or lifestyle choices; 
• Making false claims about a person’s professional abilities. 

What remedies can you claim for slander? 

Remedies for slander victims aim to address the harm caused by false statements and discourage similar behaviour in the future. Typically, victims of slander may seek: 

• Compensatory damages to cover any losses; 
• Exemplary damages to discourage similar future behaviour; 
• Injunctions to stop the defendant from publishing any further defamation; 
• A summary of the court’s final judgement to clarify any slanderous statements;
• A written apology correcting the slander (offer of amends); 
• Compensation to cover legal costs. 

Who pays costs in slander claims?

If you win a slander case, the person who made false statements about you will likely have to pay some of your legal costs and damages. But you might still need to cover a small part of your legal costs yourself, usually around 20-25%.

Can I report slander to the police?

Generally, slander is a civil matter and, as such, you can’t report it to the police.

If you want to take action against someone who is slandering you, then the best course of action is to speak to a defamation lawyer rather than the police.

What are the defences for slander? 

Slander cases can be difficult for claimants to prove and there are several defences available to you if you’ve been accused of slander. To build a robust defence strategy, it’s a good idea to get help from an experienced solicitor.

You may be able to defend yourself by proving that:

• The spoken statement was true; 
• The statement was presented as an opinion rather than a statement of fact; 
• The alleged slanderous statement did not cause harm to the victim; 
• The victim consented to the statement. 

Get help from our slander solicitors

If you’ve been the victim of slander, or you’ve been accused of slander, get a free case assessment from our legal assessment team to discuss your options.

We can break down the next steps, potential costs, and strength of your case based on what you tell us. 

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