How do I sue someone for slander in Alberta?

To preserve your right to make a claim for defamation, defamation lawyers must file a claim against the person making the statement within two years. It is important to speak to your defamation lawyer to see if any facts in your situation extend the time frame.

Can you charge someone for slander in Canada?

If you are suing for libel in Canada, you do not need to prove that you suffered damages—you only need to prove that a false statement with a permanent record was made about you to a third party, and the court will presume that damages were suffered.

Can I sue someone for slander?

If someone has slandered you, you can claim damages and other remedies from them. If you issue proceedings, the court can order your opponent to pay damages to you, and impose an injunction, which could mean your opponent is sent to prison if they repeat the slander again in future.

How do you prosecute someone for slander?

In a slander lawsuit, you have to prove the following:

  1. Someone made a false, defamatory statement about you knowing it was a false statement.
  2. The statement does not fall in any privileged category.
  3. The person who published it acted negligently when they published the statement.
  4. You were harmed by the statement.

How do you charge someone with slander in Alberta?

In order for a statement to be libelous it need only reach any person other than yourself: a large audience is not necessary. It is very difficult to sue for defamation and you will need a lawyer to assist you in court. To prove slander, you must show that the statements were heard by a third party.

Can you sue for emotional distress in Alberta?

Alberta courts may not speak of emotional distress cases, but they do take the infliction of mental injury very seriously indeed.

What are the five elements of slander?

The five requisite elements of a defamation lawsuit?

  • A statement of fact. Of course, for defamation to have occurred, somebody must have made the statement that is considered defamatory.
  • A published statement.
  • The statement caused injury.
  • The statement must be false.
  • The statement is not privileged.
  • Getting legal advice.

Can I report slander to the police?

Can I report slander or defamation to the police? Slander or defamation of character is a civil matter, and so we do not have any jurisdiction to assist with this. We recommend you speaking to a solicitor or Citizens Advice before taking any action.

Is slander hard to prove?

Slander can be hard to prove as the complainant must show the slanderer was driven by malice and knew their claims were false. Slander is different from libel, which are false statements made through print or broadcast.