As a legal expert with a focus on tort law, I am well-versed in the intricacies of various civil wrongs, including slander. Slander is indeed a tort, which is a civil wrong that can occur when one party makes a false statement about another that causes harm to the reputation of the person being spoken about. It is distinct from libel, which involves written or published defamation. Slander is an oral defamation, where the untruth is communicated verbally, either spoken or sometimes through gestures that can be understood as conveying a message.

To establish a case of slander, several elements must be present:


1. False Statement: There must be a false statement made about the plaintiff. The statement does not need to be entirely false; it can be a mixture of truth and falsehood, as long as the false part is damaging.


2. Unprivileged Communication: The communication must not be privileged. Privileged communications are those that are protected by law and do not give rise to liability, such as statements made in court or certain types of professional advice.


3. Publication: The statement must be communicated to a third party. It is not slander if the statement is only made to the person being defamed.


4. Fault: The defendant must have been at fault in making the statement. This can range from negligence to actual malice, depending on the context.


5. Damages: The plaintiff must suffer harm or damages as a result of the slander. Damages can be economic, such as lost income, or non-economic, such as emotional distress.


6. Serious Harm: In some jurisdictions, for certain types of slander, there is a requirement to prove special damages, which are specific and actual losses resulting from the defamation.

Slander can lead to a lawsuit where the plaintiff seeks compensation for the harm caused. The defendant may raise various defenses, such as truth (the statement was not false), consent (the plaintiff agreed to the publication), or privilege.

It is important to note that the laws regarding slander can vary by jurisdiction, and the specifics of what constitutes slander and the defenses available can differ. Additionally, the burden of proof in slander cases typically falls on the plaintiff to show that the defendant's statement was false and caused harm.

In conclusion, slander is a serious matter with the potential to cause significant harm to an individual's reputation. It is a recognized tort in many legal systems, and those who are wronged by slander have legal recourse to seek redress for the damages they have suffered.

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n. oral defamation, in which someone tells one or more persons an untruth about another, which untruth will harm the reputation of the person defamed. Slander is a civil wrong (tort) and can be the basis for a lawsuit.read more >>