More than half of the defamation lawsuits were received in 2021 in full or in part, according to data revealed in the request for freedom of information that reached Israel Today.
According to the data, 1,186 defamation lawsuits were filed in 2021 in the Magistrates' Courts (where most of these lawsuits are filed), and only 15 were filed in the District Courts.
Of all the claims filed, 712 were accepted or partially accepted, 279 claims were dismissed, 215 were dismissed, 19 were delayed due to arbitration or other reason, and one claim was closed due to technical reason.
In an annual comparison, it appears that in the courts' policy this year there has been a change in everything related to defamation lawsuits that ended in full or partial acceptance.
In 2021, 59% of the claims were received - about 30% more than in the previous year, when 45% of the claims were received.
The number of defamation lawsuits filed in the district courts (lawsuits of more than NIS 2.5 million) has been on the rise in recent years.
If in 2018 only four lawsuits were filed and in 2019 their number doubled to eight, in 2020 11 lawsuits were filed and in 2021 it amounted to 15 complaints, as stated.
Advocate Saar Gershuni, who specializes in defamation law, explained that "the very fact that more than 50% of these claims are accepted in full or in part - an increase of 14% compared to 2020 - indicates a change both due to the fact that more substantiated claims are filed and the courts understand The motives of the plaintiffs to maintain their good name.
In the age of social networks, when the hand is light on the keyboard, it is very important that it is possible to return the victim's good name, and the court understands the necessity of the process for the person's good name. "
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