Clifford Chance
New Defamation Act makes it harder for companies to sue
2 January 2014
Companies will find it harder to sue for defamation under the Defamation Act 2013, which came into force on 1 January 2014. They must now show that a defamatory statement has caused, or is likely to cause, "serious financial loss".
The Defamation Act 2013 came into force in England and Wales on 1 January 2014. It introduces a requirement for all claimants to show that "serious harm" to its reputation has been caused by the statement complained about, or that serious harm is likely to be caused. For a body trading for profit, harm will not be "serious harm" unless it has caused, or is likely to cause, serious financial loss.
