Defamation (slander), Breaches of Information Act?

It has recently come to my attention that an employee of my most recent employer has communicated certain anecdotal events regarding my employment therein with further personal judgements and negative recommendations regarding my employability. The receiving parties include employment agency staff and other hiring managers within places of potential employment. As a result, my potential for employment has been marred. I possess both first-hand and hearsay evidence.

The alleged events during my employment were not met with any reprimand nor was it formalised that my employment was terminated as a result of such (was casual employment and stated as work ran out). There were issues but these included ostracism and inappropriate actions toward myself.

I have not requested the ex employer to act as an employment reference, have not requested a third party to contact them for this purpose nor do I assume that the provision of unsolicited information regarding an employee, of any status, form part of an existing policy.

Are such action(s) accountable by law as they have severely impaired my employment prospects?

Regardless of whether you have requested the ex-employer to act as an employment reference, it is an everyday practice for prospective employers to contact previous employers that are listed on your CV to confirm your employment history. Generally this includes a very telling, yet non-specific question - "if you were hiring in future, would you reemploy him/her?" - a "no" answer is enough for the prospective employer to read between the lines. Don't ever believe that the only referees a prospective employer or recruitment agency will contact are the ones you've put on your CV - we know that everybody puts "tame" referees on their CVs.

It is a common practice for insecure persons to 'bad mouth' someone. Just about everywhere i have worked i have seen this done to others.

We all mostly accept this, however i agree that if it has affected your income/work prospects, and it is provable, you must act and seek legal advice.

Why allow some bast--d get away with it!

However, if you can't prove that it has affected you as above, it will be a waste of time seeking legal recompence.