As an individual or as a business your reputation is a key asset and at Kirwans we understand the impact untruthful allegations or statements can be.

With electronic communications and social networking now widespread, defamatory allegations and statements are made more frequently and the effect of this can be particularly damaging to you and your business given the speed at which communications can be spread.

We are persistent and tough when pursuing corrective action following such allegations or statements. Many cases settle without the need for court proceedings however, if necessary, we will run a case to trial.

We believe that prevention is the best course of action, and we endeavour to reduce the number of complaints by offering you and your business advice in relation to pre-publication work. We will also review magazine content, novels and scripts to ensure that there are no potentially libellous claims.

Useful definitions:

Libel: Defamation in a permanent form (words or images), such as a newspaper article or internet posting

Slander: Defamation in a temporary form, such as word of mouth

Malicious Falsehood: A false defamatory statement which has been made out of malice in relation to a business or a person’s trade