Defamation is the communication of a

statement that makes a claim, expressly

stated or implied to be accurate, that may
give an individual, business, product, group,
government, religion or nation a negative
or inferior image.
 Itcan be also any disapproving statement
made by one person about another, which is
communicated or published, whether true or
false, depending on legal state.

In Common Law it is usually a requirement

that this claim be false and that the
publication is communicated to someone
other than the person defamed (the claimant).
 The action or crime of making a false spoken
statement damaging to a person's reputation.

It is a writing tending to injure and degrade the

character of a person, who is the object of it.

Hence, Libel is a defamatory statement published in the press

or otherwise, while slander is oral defamation.
Libelous statements are divided into the
following 4 categories:

•Exciting hatred, contempt, scorn or ridicule

•To be shunned or avoided by society

•Affecting profession, calling or office

•Affecting trade or business

 Good Faith
 Public Good
Justification
 Fair comment
 Privilege
 Apology
The remedies available to the aggrieved person in India
are of two kinds:

1. Civil action under the common law

2. Criminal proceedings for defamation
In the first, the claim is essentially for damages by monetary compensation.
In criminal proceedings, it is punishment with fine and/or imprisonment.
Blasphemy is the act of insulting or showing
contempt or lack of reverence for a religious deity
or the irreverence towards religious or holy persons
or things.
Sedition is conduct or speech inciting people to rebel
against the authority of a state or monarch.

 Sedition may include any commotion, though not aimed

at direct and open violence against the laws.

 Seditious words in writing are seditious libel.