Book excerpt: (PUBLICATION FIRST MARKED AS OUT OF PRINT 20/05/04)This is the first statement of the Scots law of defamation for almost a century, and in that time there have been great changes both in social attitudes and in methods of communication. By bringing together all the important Scottish cases of the twentieth century, Professor Norrie has provided a coherent and up-to-date analysis of the modern Scots law in this area.