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Belee - Law Dictionary Search Results

Home Dictionary Name: belee

libel

libel [Anglo-French, from Latin libellus, diminutive of liber book] 1 : complaint used esp. in admiralty and divorce cases 2 a : a defamatory statement or representation esp. in the form of written or printed words ;specif : a false published statement that injures an individual's reputation (as in business) or otherwise exposes him or her to public contempt b : the publication of such a libel c : the crime or tort of publishing a libel see also single publication rule New York Times Co. v. Sullivan in the Important Cases section compare defamation, slander NOTE: Although libel is defined under state case law or statute, the U.S. Supreme Court has enumerated some First Amendment protections that apply to matters of public concern. In New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, the Court held that in order to recover damages a public person (as a celebrity or politician) who alleges libel (as by a newspaper) has to prove that “the statement was made with ‘actual malice’ &...


Belee

To place under the lee or unfavorably to the wind...


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