Legal consequences The BMA Ethics toolkit [14] describes defamation as the act of making unjustified statements about people or organisations that damage their reputation and can result in legal action.

You need to be aware that any material posted online, even pseudonymously can be traced to the original author.

You should therefore exercise sound judgment when posting online and avoid making gratuitous or unsubstantiated negative comments about individuals or organisations. Defamation (libel) Home Content Glossary Help Back Next