He who finds a notorious libel and does not destroy it is punished.

Explanation

At common law, a libelous publication was considered so dangerous to the peace that anyone who found one and failed to destroy it was punishable — the maxim reflects the severity with which the common law treated defamatory writings.

Where this applies

• Someone finds a defamatory publication and shares it instead of destroying it.
• A person discovers libelous material and fails to suppress it.