Your point does not stand. It's not illegal (a violation of civil or criminal law) in most jurisdictions. It's a slam dunk lawsuit though. There's basically

Your point does not stand. It's not illegal (a violation of civil or criminal law) in most jurisdictions. It's a slam dunk lawsuit though. There's basically just strict liability for any harm that comes of it (yes, I know I'm over-generalizing). Being liable for damages caused by making damaging false statements is basically the court forcing you to accept personal responsibility and making you make it right. Actions that constitute libel rarely violate a civil or criminal law (in the US). A lot of things are slam dunk lawsuits that aren't illegal (e.g. breach of contract).