With regard to defamation which of the following is not correct?

Correct option is B

The correct answer is: (b) Under English law of torts, slander is actionable per se.

Detailed Explanation

• Option (b) is INCORRECT (and thus the correct answer to the question): Under the English law of torts, libel is actionable per se (without proof of special damage), whereas slander is generally NOT actionable per se-it requires proof of actual special/pecuniary damage (subject to a few statutory exceptions like imputation of a contagious disease, unchastity in women, or unfitness in office/business).
• Option (a) is correct: Under English criminal law, only libel is recognized as a criminal offence, while slander is purely a civil wrong.
• Option (c) is correct: In India, both libel and slander are recognized as criminal offences under Section 499 of the IPC (and Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) without distinction.
• Option (d) is correct: Libel is defamation in a permanent, visible form (addressed to the eye), whereas slander is in a temporary/spoken form (addressed to the ear).