Under common law and according to the definition of this defamation, deceased individuals cannot be defamed. Defamation is defined as an act or statement that damages one's reputation. ... Likewise, the estate of a deceased person cannot be liable for the defamation of the dead.

Can you libel someone dead?

Individuals. Any living individual can sue for defamation; the dead cannot i.e. an estate or relatives of a deceased person cannot sue for libel over defamatory statements made about the deceased person.

Can you be sued for writing about a dead person?

A: When writing fiction, it's generally OK to use the names of deceased people in your work and even create events that didn't actually happen (Forrest Gump is a good example of this). A person's right to privacy expires when he dies, and you can no longer be sued for libel.