Substantial truth
Encyclopedia
Substantial truth is a legal doctrine
affecting libel and slander laws in common law
jurisdictions such as the US or the UK.
Under the United States
law, a statement cannot be held to be slanderous or libelous if it is true; the substantial truth doctrine extends this protection by holding that a statement with "slight inaccuracies of expression" do not make the alleged libel false.
This doctrine is applied in matters in which truth is used as an absolute defense to a defamation claim brought against a public figure, but only false statements made with "actual malice
" are subject to sanctions . A defendant using truth as a defense in a defamation case is not required to justify every word of the alleged defamatory statements. It is sufficient to prove that "the substance, the gist, the sting, of the matter is true." .
Legal doctrine
A legal doctrine is a framework, set of rules, procedural steps, or test, often established through precedent in the common law, through which judgments can be determined in a given legal case. A doctrine comes about when a judge makes a ruling where a process is outlined and applied, and allows...
affecting libel and slander laws in common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
jurisdictions such as the US or the UK.
Under the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
law, a statement cannot be held to be slanderous or libelous if it is true; the substantial truth doctrine extends this protection by holding that a statement with "slight inaccuracies of expression" do not make the alleged libel false.
This doctrine is applied in matters in which truth is used as an absolute defense to a defamation claim brought against a public figure, but only false statements made with "actual malice
Actual malice
Actual malice in United States law is a condition required to establish libel against public officials or public figures and is defined as "knowledge that the information was false" or that it was published "with reckless disregard of whether it was false or not." Reckless disregard does not...
" are subject to sanctions . A defendant using truth as a defense in a defamation case is not required to justify every word of the alleged defamatory statements. It is sufficient to prove that "the substance, the gist, the sting, of the matter is true." .
External links
- "Britney Spears's Suit Against US Weekly: Can She Be Libeled? You Bet." by Julie HildenJulie HildenJulie Cope Hilden is a novelist and lawyer. She grew up in Hawaii and New Jersey and now lives in Los Angeles. She attended Harvard College, Yale Law School, and has an M.F.A. from Cornell University....