---
title: "Defamation Litigation"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/civil-law-en/defamation-litigation-en"
field: "Civil Law"
description: "Defamation litigation in Georgia: evidently incorrect facts, quantifying damage, restoration and deadlines. Lawyers of Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-03-25"
updated: "2026-10-15"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Defamation Litigation

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/civil-law-en/defamation-litigation-en

## A Defamation Claim — the Legal Frame

In defamation cases the court answers two questions: were the disseminated statements evidently incorrect, and did they cause damage to the person. The first question is resolved by Article 993 of the Civil Code: a person who intentionally or negligently disseminates or publicises facts damaging to the property of another person is obliged to compensate the damage arising therefrom, where those facts are evidently incorrect. At the same time, the obligation to compensate does not arise for statements that serve the protection of lawful public interests — an exception that guards the sphere of free speech and public debate.

The second question comes from the general tort frame: under Article 992, a person who causes damage to another by an unlawful, intentional or negligent act is obliged to compensate it. A defamation claim is built precisely on the resolution of these norms: the act is unlawful, culpable and damaging — and the court assesses each element separately.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/civil-law-en/defamation-litigation-en

### What must a plaintiff prove in a defamation case?

That a person intentionally or negligently disseminated facts, that the facts are evidently incorrect, and that they caused damage. Statements serving lawful public interests are excepted.

### Can moral damages be claimed?

Yes — monetary compensation for non-pecuniary damage is claimed in cases defined by law, as reasonable and fair compensation, and may be combined with a pecuniary claim.

### What is restoration before monetary compensation?

Restoration of the original situation — denial of the statement, publication of a response, replacement of the damaged document. Monetary compensation supplements restoration where full restoration is impossible.

### What is the limitation period?

Three years from the moment the injured person learned of the damage or of the obliged person — from knowledge, not from dissemination.