{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/8.01-45.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/8.01-45.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/8.01-45.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/8.01-45.html"}],"law_id":377378,"edition_id":2,"section_id":377378,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-45","catch_line":"Action for insulting words","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 8-630; 1977, c. 617.","full_text":"All words shall be actionable which from their usual construction and common acceptance are construed as insults and tend to violence and breach of the peace.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1408274,"text":"All words shall be actionable which from their usual construction and common acceptance are construed as insults and tend to violence and breach of the peace.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":53640,"edition_id":2,"name":"Defamation","identifier":"4","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":4,"parent_id":53562,"metadata":{"child_laws":8,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:19:50","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:11","permalink":{"id":1507827,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53640,"identifier":"4","token":"8.01\/3\/4","url":"\/8.01\/3\/4\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53562,"edition_id":2,"name":"Actions","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":5,"parent_id":53558,"metadata":{"child_laws":357,"child_structures":31},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:18:33","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:10","permalink":{"id":1506637,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53562,"identifier":"3","token":"8.01\/3","url":"\/8.01\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53558,"edition_id":2,"name":"Civil Remedies and Procedure","identifier":"8.01","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":12,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":1095,"child_structures":142},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:18:32","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:09","permalink":{"id":1504031,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53558,"identifier":"8.01","token":"8.01","url":"\/8.01\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":377378,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-45","catch_line":"Action for insulting words","url":"\/8.01-45\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-45","metadata":false},{"id":377392,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-46","catch_line":"Justification and mitigation of damages","url":"\/8.01-46\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-46","metadata":false},{"id":377390,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-46.1","catch_line":"Disclosure of employment-related information; presumptions; causes of action; definitions","url":"\/8.01-46.1\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-46.1","metadata":false},{"id":377391,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-46.2","catch_line":"Civil action for dissemination of intimate images to another; penalty","url":"\/8.01-46.2\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-46.2","metadata":false},{"id":377432,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-47","catch_line":"Immunity of persons investigating or reporting certain incidents at schools","url":"\/8.01-47\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-47","metadata":false},{"id":377444,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-48","catch_line":"Mitigation in actions against newspapers, etc","url":"\/8.01-48\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-48","metadata":false},{"id":377457,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-49","catch_line":"Defamatory statements in radio and television broadcasts","url":"\/8.01-49\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-49","metadata":false},{"id":377456,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-49.1","catch_line":"Liability for defamatory material on the Internet","url":"\/8.01-49.1\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-49.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":377392,"structure_id":53640,"section_number":"8.01-46","catch_line":"Justification and mitigation of damages","url":"\/8.01-46\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-46","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/8.01-45\/","history_text":"<p>The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1977, chapter 617.<\/p>","references":[{"id":377444,"section_number":"8.01-48","catch_line":"Mitigation in actions against newspapers, etc","order_by":null,"url":"\/8.01-48\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1507829,"object_type":"law","relational_id":377378,"identifier":"8.01-45","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-45","url":"\/8.01-45\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/8.01-45\/","token":"8.01\/3\/4\/8.01-45","dublin_core":{"Title":"Action for insulting words","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 8.01-45","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>All words shall be actionable which from their usual construction and common acceptance are construed as insults and tend to violence and breach of the peace.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nACTION FOR INSULTING WORDS (\u00a7 8.01-45)\n\nAll words shall be actionable which from their usual construction and common\nacceptance are construed as insults and tend to violence and breach of the\npeace.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 8-630; 1977, c. 617.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}