Slander of Women Act 1891
| 5 August 1891[3] | |
| Repealed | |
|---|---|
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by |
|
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Slander of Women Act 1891 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Slander of Women Act 1891 (
Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
(as it then was).
Section 1
Slander imputing unchastity or adultery to a female
This section provides that in an
special damage
.
The word "unchastity" is not confined to unchastity with a man. To call a woman a "lesbian" is to impute "unchastity" to her.[6]
However, the section then provides that in an action for slander made
actionable
by that section, a plaintiff may not be awarded more costs than damages unless the judge certifies that "there was reasonable ground for bringing the action".
Republic of Ireland
This section was replaced for the Republic of Ireland by section 16 of the Defamation Act 1961. The proviso was not reproduced.
Section 2
This section provides that the Act may be cited as the Slander of Women Act 1891 and that it does not apply to Scotland.
Repeal
The Act was repealed[7] for the Republic of Ireland on 1 January 1962[4] and for England and Wales on 1 January 2014 by section 14(1) of the Defamation Act 2013.[8]
Parliamentary debates
References
- short titlewas conferred by the Slander of Women Act 1891, section 2
- ^ The Slander of Women Act 1891, section 2; the Act is presumed to extend to those parts of the United Kingdom because the contrary is not specified.
- ^ The Act came into force on the date of royal assent because the contrary was not specified
- ^ a b "Defamation Act 1961, section 3(1)". electronic Irish Statute Book (eISB). Government of Ireland. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Defamation Act 2013 aims to improve libel laws". BBC News Online. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Kerr v. Kennedy [1942] 1 K.B. 409
- ^ The Defamation Act 1961, section 4 [1] and the first schedule [2]
- ^ Brought into force by article 2 of the Defamation Act 2013 (Commencement) (England and Wales) Order 2013.