Course Details

Defamation in the UAE – What we all need to know

5
CREDITS
CourseMandatory
Points2
LocationAl Hudaiba Awards Building, Block C, M Floor

The principles of personal honour, reputation, and ’standing’ in the community have been a cornerstone of social structures across the world, both current and historical. Equally, notions of freedom of expression, freedom of speech, and the right to comment are concepts that can come into conflict with these principles. In an increasingly digital world, and where the ability to immediately reach a national, regional or international audience can potentially cause unintended or intended harm to the reputation of others, an understanding of defamation is critical to our professional and personal interactions with others.

The aim of this course is to:

• Provide an awareness of the principles of defamation
• Apply knowledge and understanding of defamation law in professional practice
• Undertake a comparative analysis of corresponding principles in the UAE with other jurisdictions (USA and UK).
• Consider the effect of ‘new media’ and technological developments in relation to defamation.
• Explore the assertion of rights under a claim of defamation and potential defences.
• Consider risk mitigation strategies in relation to potential defamatory content.

The primary topic areas in the course will be:

• Freedom of expression
• Defamation overview
• Types of Defamatory Content and Material
• The interaction of defamation with AI and social media
• Technological Impact on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law
• Defamation in a workplace context
• Litigation aspects of defamation
• Risk management and mitigation