Legal Definitions - calumny

Calumny refers to the act of making a false and malicious statement about someone, specifically with the intent to damage their reputation. It involves deliberately misrepresenting a person's actions, words, or character in a way that is designed to cause harm to their standing or good name. While it can sometimes involve falsely accusing someone of a crime, its broader meaning covers any deliberate fabrication or distortion intended to injure another's reputation. It is a form of defamation.

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of calumny:

• Imagine a scenario where a rival business owner, wanting to undercut a competitor, falsely tells potential clients that the competitor uses substandard materials and has a history of failing to complete projects on time. The rival knows these claims are untrue but spreads them anyway to steer business away from the competitor and damage their professional standing.

  This is calumny because the rival is making false statements about the competitor's business practices with the malicious intent to harm their reputation and secure an advantage.

• Consider a disgruntled former employee who, out of spite, fabricates stories to industry contacts that their previous employer routinely engages in unethical billing practices, even though the company has a clean record. The former employee's goal is to tarnish the company's image within the industry.

  This constitutes calumny because the former employee is knowingly spreading untrue allegations about the company's ethics, specifically to damage its reputation among peers and clients.

• During a contentious local election, one political candidate falsely accuses their opponent of having a criminal record, knowing full well that the opponent has never been convicted of a crime. The candidate makes this accusation publicly to discredit their opponent and sway voters.

  This is an act of calumny because the candidate is making a false and damaging accusation about their opponent's character with the clear intent to harm their reputation and influence the election outcome.