Case: Defamation Concerning Y in Sealed Envelope

Facts of the Case:

• X authored a letter to Y containing defamatory content.
• The letter was sealed in an envelope.
• A servant of Y, without permission, opened and read the contents of the sealed letter.

Issue in the Case:

• Can Y successfully sue X for defamation based on the contents of the letter, even though it was opened and read by Y’s servant?

Principle:

• Defamation entails the publication of a statement that tends to lower a person’s reputation in the eyes of society.
• Publication refers to conveying defamatory content to individuals other than the subject of the statement.

Judgment:

• X is not liable for defamation.
• The defamatory statement was not published in the traditional sense because it was intended solely for Y and was sealed within an envelope.
• X took reasonable steps to prevent the dissemination of the defamatory content by sealing it in an envelope addressed to Y.
• The act of the servant in opening and reading the sealed letter was unauthorized and not the fault of X.
• Since there was no intentional publication of the defamatory material by X to third parties, X cannot be held liable for defamation.
• Therefore, Y cannot succeed in the defamation suit against X.

In conclusion, X is not liable for defamation due to the absence of intentional publication of defamatory material to third parties.