By Jada Loutoo
February 06, 2018 – newsday.co.tt
Social media users beware. You may have to pay if your posts are found to be defamatory. The warning came from Justice Frank Seepersad who yesterday ordered a woman who posted defamatory statements on Facebook, to compensate an entire family. She was sued after a series of post appeared on her page in 2016.
In a ruling in the High Court, Seepersad said the words posted by Janelle Burke were “reckless and scandalous.”
He ordered her to pay compensation and the family’s legal bill, which are to be assessed by a Master of the High Court.
With no legislation to govern the use of social media locally, Seepersad’s ruling has created the precedent for other similar cases where slanderous statements are posted on social media accounts as he has developed a three-step test to specifically address the use of social media and its real-world implications.
YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR MOUTH
IT WASN’T ME, WON’T WORK
I agree with the judge. This is an extreme case of defamation. It does not matter the means. What matters is the level of falsehood being propagated.
A precedent is necessary because quite a number of citizens appear to be of the view that libellous statements are a ‘cultural thing’ and is the norm negating altogether the consequences of the negative impact to the other party. Take for an example the question put to the President Elect pertinent to her sexual orientation by the news media interviewer. Where did the interviewer got that from? The source was comments made on face book.