Libel and Slander

• Author: Roger McConchie; David Potts
• Profession: Member of the Bars of British Columbia and Alberta/Member of the Bar of Ontario
• Pages: 9-13

CHAPTER

ONE:

Libel

and

Slander

A.

INTRODUCTION

The law of

defamation

concerns

the

torts

of

libel

and

slander.

At

common

law,

libel

is

defamatory

expression

in

writing

or

some

other

non-transitory

form.

Slander

is an

oral

statement

or

some

other

form

of

transitory

expression.

Bell

v.

Intertan

Canada

Limited,

2002

SKQB

446,

per

Matheson

J. at

para.

20.

Brule

v.

Chmilar

(2000),

256

A.R.

168

(Q.B.)

per

Gallant

J. at

para.

59:

A

libel involves material exhibited

in

written

or

other concrete

form,

such

as in

film,

pictures

or

statues. Slanders

are

defamations which

have

been spoken

or

embodied

in

some transitory

form.

MacArthur

v.

Meuser

(1997),

146

D.L.R.

(4th)

125

(Ont. Gen. Div.)

per

Adams

J. at

para.

30

[aff'd

(2000),

188

D.L.R.

(4th)

191

(Ont.

C.A.)]

citing

Willows

v.

Williams

(1950),

2

WWR.

(N.S.)

657

(Alta.

S.C. (T.D.)) where

Egbert],

stated

at

658:

In

libel

the

defamatory statement

is

made

in

some visible

and

perma-

nent

form,

and in

slander

it is

made

in

spoken words,

or in

some other

transitory

form.

St.

Elizabeth

Home

Society

v.

Hamilton

(City),

[2001]

OJ.

No.

2597

per

Harris

J.

at

paras. 12-13 (S.C.J.).

Emonts

v.

McKeever,

[1992]

OJ. No.

1467 (Gen Div)

per

Goodearle

J.

9