In message <am7pr03mb6451b4bf11f0572c45959465ee...@am7pr03mb6451.eurprd03.prod.outlook.com>, Andrew Alston <[email protected]> wrote:
>Calling someone a criminal in a public forum without any charges having been >filed or proven - is defamatory. It's pretty simple really - just - do't do it Although I myself have used that exact word here with reference to certain parties, I have done so only in cases where I believe that facts & evidence are abundant and irrefutable, even in the absence of formal charges having (yet) been filed. That having been said, I would generally agree with Andrew's advice here. For cases where the facts and evidence may perhaps be refutable, I prefer the term "crook", which is subject to various interpretations and which thus might be classified, in a legal context, as a statement of opinion, rather than as a statement of fact. (And that fine distinction is of great importance in most jurisdictions and in the context of defamation litigation.) Regards, rfg _______________________________________________ Community-Discuss mailing list [email protected] https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/community-discuss
