Defamation Law

Defamation Law by David Rolph provides a comprehensive, up-to-date account of Australian defamation law. This work provides both a practical resource and an explanation of the historical background and current sources of Australian defamation law.

David Rolph analyses the competing interests underlying defamation – the protection of reputation and freedom of expression – and considers in detail the requirements of the plaintiff’s case for defamation, the range of available defences and the remedies which may be awarded.

As well as focussing on the tort of defamation, this work considers criminal defamation and civil causes of action which may overlap with it.

Critically for both practitioners and students, this work considers a range of practical questions such as how to deal with directions for juries, costs, damages, interlocutories particular to defamation, capacity arguments, particulars and interrogatories.

In this work, David Rolph has struck the necessary balance between providing essential practical guidance and the historical context of the law, to provide both defamation lawyers and students of defamation law with the ideal text on the subject.