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Contumelious - Law Dictionary Search Results

Home Dictionary Name: contumelious

Contumelious

Exhibiting contumely rudely contemptuous insolent disdainful...


Blasphemy

Blasphemy [fr. bl'ptw, Gk., to hurt, and fhmh, reputation; blasfhmw', to speak impiously; blasphemo, Lat., to revile, Wedgw.], an offence against God and religion, by denying to the Almighty His Being and Providence, or by contumelious reproaches of our Saviour Christ. Also, all profane scoffing at the Holy Scripture, and exposing it to contempt and ridicule. It is an indictable misdemeanour at Common Law, see Reg. v. Ramsay & Foote, (1993) 15 Cox, CC 231.In case an offender has been educated in or at any time made profession of Christianity, the statute 9 & 10 Wm. 3, c. 32 (c. 35 in the Revised Statutes), Chitty's Statutes, tit. 'Criminal Law (Offences against Peace, etc.), commonly called 'The Blasphemy Act,' though it is only directed against apostasy, but is cumulative upon the common law, R. v. Carlile, (1819) 3 B. & Ald. 167, very severely punishes any person 'who shall by writing printing teaching or advised speaking, deny the Christian religion to be true, or the Holy Scripture...


Libel

Libel [fr. libellus, Lat.; libelle, Fr.]. False defamatory words, if written and published, constitute a libel: Odgers on libel, p. 1. 'Everything printed or written, which reflects on the character of another, and is published without lawful justification or excuse, is a libel whatever the intention may have been', O'Brien v. Clement, (1846) 15 M & W 435, per Parke, B. A statement in a talking film is a libel and not merely a slander, Yossopoff v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture Corporation, 78 Sol Jo 617. As to publication by dictation, etc., to a typist, see Osborn v. Boulter & Son, (1930) 2 KB 226. All contumelious matter that tends to degrade a man in the opinion of his neighbours, or to make him ridiculous, will amount (when conveyed in writing, or by picture, effigy, or the like, Monson v. Tussauds, Ltd., (1894)1 QB 671, to libel. A writing of fictitious character which incidentally contains the name of a real person may be a libel: see Jones v. Hulton & Co., 1910 AC 20, where Lord ...


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