Plaintiffs look to lenient British libel laws

Article Abstract:

Several plaintiffs have tried to use Great Britain's laws regarding libel actions, which are more liberal than libel laws in the US, to their advantage. An Indian businessman successfully sued for libel in Britain, but failed to collect damages in the US because the US court would not enforce the British judgment. Robert Maxwell sued a British author who published in a US magazine, but Maxwell's death ended the case. The US company Upjohn has sued a Scottish physician and British publishers over statements on the company and its product Halcion. Armand Hammer sued a US author over an unauthorized biography, but Hammer's death ended the case.

Comparative analysis, Judgments, Foreign, Foreign judgments

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Louisiana Supreme Court rejects libel of the dead

Article Abstract:

The Louisiana Supreme Court has ruled that libel law in the state does not allow a cause of action for defamation of the dead. The court agreed with a lower state court and reversed an appeals court, stating libelous statements must concern the plaintiff, so family members have no standing to sue. The family of a murder victim had sued a television station for reporting that the victim's murder may have been related to organized crime.

Defamation of the dead

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Libel suit reinstated over 'malice' definition confusion

Article Abstract:

The US 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a libel suit in Schafer v. Time. The court stated the judge's instructions to the jury may have confused the meaning of 'false and malicious defamation' and the law's requirement for proof of 'actual malice'. The case involved the misprinting of a janitor's photo in an article about the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.

United States, Instructions to juries, Jury instructions, New trials

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