The plaintiff said that the defendant had libelled him by saying that he was in the habit of publishing immoral and foolish books.
Held: It was open to a defendant denying the libel to establish through evidence that the criticism was fair.
Citations:
(1808) 1 Camp 350
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Citing:
Approved – Carr v Hood QBD 1808
Lord Ellenborough said: ‘it is not libellous to ridicule a literary composition, or the author of it, in so far as he has embodied himself with his work.
Every man who publishes a book commits himself to the judgment of the public, and anyone . .
Cited by:
Cited – Associated Newspapers Ltd v Burstein CA 22-Jun-2007
The newspaper appealed an award of damages for defamation after its theatre critic’s review of an opera written by the claimant. The author said the article made him appear to sympathise with terrorism.
Held: The appeal succeeded. Keene LJ . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Defamation
Updated: 01 December 2022; Ref: scu.253557