However, the law of innuendo might be applied in some contexts. An identified group of individuals can be defamed. For example, to say of a football team that some of them 'are drunken sots', is to defame each and every member of the team - even if the author wanted only to refer to one or two of them. He does not differentiate between them, neither will his audience, and neither will the judge. When a group becomes sufficiently diffuse is a question for each particular occasion, but a helpful starter test is whether they can each be named.
Politicians seem to be coming into a class of their own.
A limited company can sue only insofar as the alleged defamation relates in some way to its trading activities. It does not have a personal reputation to defend, but only one as a trader. This is by no means a full explanation of the law in this area. This note relates to English law only. Law changes constantly, and a short note cannot reflect the complexity of real life.