Matters include libel and slander in newspapers, broadcast and online where a claimant alleges publication of a false statement causing 'serious harm' under the Defamation Act 2013. A solicitor drafts and exchanges letters of claim under the Defamation pre‑action protocol, identifies defendants and website or social‑media operators, seeks corrections, takedowns, apologies and undertakings, and issues or defends claims in the High Court or county court. Progress turns on the Act’s serious‑harm threshold, available statutory defences such as truth, honest opinion and public interest, and on interlocutory relief including injunctions.
What a solicitor handles in these matters
Solicitors assess the serious‑harm threshold in the Defamation Act 2013, manage pre‑action protocol exchanges, instruct disclosure and witness evidence, advise on the website‑operator defence and public‑interest grounds, and prepare or resist interlocutory applications for injunctions. They also handle jurisdictional and online‑publication technicalities that determine limitation, venue and the scope of remedies.