Libel from sacked employee

[Crapstone]

I'm not sure if this is in the right place but guess it works both ways in law.

 

A year or so ago a company employed someone and then sacked them not long after for putting in false time sheets.

 

This person befriended one of the current managers on Facebook last week. Looking back at their posts, which are public for all to see, they made a serious statement a few weeks ago naming 3 companies for sub-standard products. 1 is the company he was sacked from and the other 2 are where the end product goes to. The latter 2 being held in high regard and very big names in their industry. They also used the initials of the directors and warned there is more to come.

 

What advice would you give?

 

I'm thinking print off the page..inform Facebook. Pass it on to the police for a crime no. Send a solicitors letter and then pass that on to the other 2 companies to deal with as they see fit.

 

I usually would say ignore the idiot but what has said is damaging and completely unfounded.

[JonCris]

Because of a recent landmark case bloggers should not moderate their blogs its the same for Facebook but once you inform them they must remove the false statements.

 

You should also inform his victims/firms as to the libel & let them take whatever action they think fit its not for you to fight their corner

[my-spirit-soars-free]

If you take action, you may give more publicity to the statement than ignoring it would ever have given. If a big supermarket, for instance, took down my claim that their strawberries tasted like washing up water, I would instantly be found on various forums sounding off about their action, as I feel that I should be allowed to express an opinion, and that is what I am doing when I put that sort of drivel on my facebook profile.

[honeybee13]

Out of interest, guys, if the statements were to be true, is it still libel?

 

HB

[my-spirit-soars-free]

Out of interest, guys, if the statements were to be true, is it still libel?

 

HB

 

Could be, if the person who said it can't prove it is true - I can think of some large settlements to people for statements that turned out to be true many years down the line.

[Crapstone]

If you take action, you may give more publicity to the statement than ignoring it would ever have given. If a big supermarket, for instance, took down my claim that their strawberries tasted like washing up water, I would instantly be found on various forums sounding off about their action, as I feel that I should be allowed to express an opinion, and that is what I am doing when I put that sort of drivel on my facebook profile.

 

This person hasn't raised an opinion. They are writing it as a fact and it involves serious safety issues.

[JonCris]

This person hasn't raised an opinion. They are writing it as a fact and it involves serious safety issues.

 

If he's alleging criminal conduct without evidence then he's committing not only civil libel but also criminal libel which is of course a criminal offence

[Bigredbus]

I'm not sure if this is in the right place but guess it works both ways in law.

 

A year or so ago a company employed someone and then sacked them not long after for putting in false time sheets.

 

This person befriended one of the current managers on Facebook last week. Looking back at their posts, which are public for all to see, they made a serious statement a few weeks ago naming 3 companies for sub-standard products. 1 is the company he was sacked from and the other 2 are where the end product goes to. The latter 2 being held in high regard and very big names in their industry. They also used the initials of the directors and warned there is more to come.

 

What advice would you give?

 

I'm thinking print off the page..inform Facebook. Pass it on to the police for a crime no. Send a solicitors letter and then pass that on to the other 2 companies to deal with as they see fit.

 

I usually would say ignore the idiot but what has said is damaging and completely unfounded.

 

The High Court has ruled that defamation on internet bulletin boards is akin to slander rather than libel.

 

Mr Justice Eady hearing a case regarding posts on an investors bulletin board (or forum) has said that such comments are not to be taken in the same context as a formal newspaper (etc) article and are more like slander due to the casual or conversational nature of them.

 

Mr Justice Eady stated that posts on bulletin boards 'are rather like contributions to a casual conversation (the analogy sometimes being drawn with people chatting in a bar) which people simply note before moving on; they are often uninhibited, casual and ill thought out...Those who participate know this and expect a certain amount of repartee or 'give and take'.'

 

As such 'When considered in the context of defamation law, therefore, communications of this kind are much more akin to slanders (this cause of action being nowadays relatively rare) than to the usual, more permanent kind of communications found in libel actions...People do not often take a 'thread' and go through it as a whole like a newspaper article. They tend to read the remarks, make their own contributions if they feel inclined, and think no more about it.'

[Crapstone]

Thanks,

 

It's a bit more serious than Eady had to judge on.

 

This has nothing to do with aviation... I just made it up...As an example if I posted..and this is toning it down ;

 

Don't buy or use Crapstone or Stonecrap planes. Their parts are made by CrapCrap and you will crash as they are not fit for purpose. Don't let your kids near one .. Pass this on to the directors (initials and names) as there is more to come. All their products are faulty. I worked there and I know they are not tested.

 

A casual and ill-informed conversation I'd accept the slander version ..but not from an ex-employee naming names. At least we know why he was sacked when he wasn't even allowed in the laboratory.

[Crapstone]

If he's alleging criminal conduct without evidence then he's committing not only civil libel but also criminal libel which is of course a criminal offence

 

As a sane adult you'd know that parts go through rigorous testing and not just by a company that supplies them. The receiver tests them as well. Every nut, bolt ....X-Ray ...tensile.

 

They are alleging that these parts are being fitted and putting lives at risk in the end product. Not true at all .. If I could name the names there is not a single case of a fault found. Parts get scrapped if they don't make the grade..and that's a lot of parts.

[JonCris]

By what you state this appears to be serious stuff. You really need to have this guy arrested & charged. At the very least have lawyers write to him with a very strong warning

[Crapstone]

Thanks....

[Conniff]

Libel cases can be very expensive to bring even if you win.

[kwaks]

Libel cases CAN be very expensive as Conniff says.

 

Replying to the post along the lines of "isn't that the company you were sacked from for falsifying your time sheets after only 2 months" would be pretty inexpensive and put some context into his statements

[Crapstone]

Libel cases CAN be very expensive as Conniff says.

 

Replying to the post along the lines of "isn't that the company you were sacked from for falsifying your time sheets after only 2 months" would be pretty inexpensive and put some context into his statements

 

As obvious as it seems, that isn't an option. A few more things have come to light so it's just waiting now and watching. He's not a happy bunny being pulled back into his hutch, without a carrot.

[Crapstone]

This person has been sacked from his new job. He didn't check that companies have connections in such a specialised industry and that some of the work is shared. He won't be filling the same position again.