libel/slander question

[bkgirl]

I asked someone on twitter did they ever visit Elm Guest House. Could this be considered libellous/defamatory? Is the mere asking of this question not allowed?

Not a legal person, but there's more than one "Elm guest house" in the world, and even if there were only one, they must have hosted "ordinary" customers too. So I'd say no, it's not defamatory.

Had you said that X stayed there with an underage child, that might be quite different.

It depends I suppose the context in which the question was asked. If, for example, it was asked in the middle of a discussion about guest houses operated by dishonest people I can see how it could imply that you're accusing them of being dishonest.

Is this about the child abuse scandal? If so, Anything you say may need to be said carefully! Context and place is key.

Surely the implication is pretty clear? You essentially asked, 'we're you involved in this paedophile ring'?

Isn't libel very difficult to prove though? The person who has been libelled against has to prove their reputation has been damaged, and this is generally measured by loss of income. Although I might be wrong, it's been a long time since I learned about this at uni!

The complainant has to prove that the publication of this remark results in serious harm to their reputation. If the complainant is for-profit organisation it is only serious harm if there is a serious financial loss. There is no requirement for an individual to show any financial loss.