For many years now, it has been uncertain whether a tweet could constitute libel. The short nature of tweets and the level of non-seriousness attached to tweets, which are classified as everyday rants and ramblings of ordinary people suggest that tweets should not be held as facts, hence, cannot be defamatory.
The uncertainty in this sphere of social media and then law has been settled, so better watch what you say on twitter because a tweet can be defamatory.
Case laws from jurisdictions such as England & Wales, New Zealand and U.S.A seem to have settled the question whether a tweet can constitute libel in the affirmative.
A recent libel case brought by Chris Cairns who played cricket for England and New Zealand has won him £90,000 in libel damages over a tweet of 24 words sent by Lalit Modi.
Chris sued Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the Indian Premier League over a tweet the latter sent, stating that, the former “had been sacked from an Indian cricket league team because of match fixing”, contrary to Cairns claim of knee injury.
Chris Cairns successfully argued in court that, the above tweet from Lalit Modi was libellous since it completely destroyed him within the cricket community.

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