A320 FLT CREW DEPARTS WITHOUT A PROPER MAINT RELEASE FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF AN ECAM SYS 2 FAULT MESSAGE.

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FLT WAS DELAYED 1 HR DUE TO LATE DEADHEAD FLT TO IAD. FLT DELAYED FURTHER ON TAXI-OUT DUE TO TFC OVER DEP FIX. PUSHED QUICKLY THROUGH PREFLT UNEVENTFULLY. ON TAXI-OUT; WE HAD 'F/CTL SLAT SYSTEM 2 FAULT ECAM.' NO FURTHER GUIDANCE FROM ECAM. REFERRED TO FLT MANUAL WHICH SAID 'CREW AWARENESS' 'SLATS SLOW.' WE ATTEMPTED SYSTEM RESET PER FLT MANUAL WITH NO LUCK. WE THEN SENT MAINT MESSAGE EXPECTING A QUICK DEFERRAL DUE TO THE LIMITED MINIMAL INFO IN THE FLT MANUAL WHICH DID NOT GIVE CAUSE FOR A LOT OF CONCERN. WE WENT AHEAD AND MOVED UP TO #1 FOR TKOF WHILE WAITING FOR DEFERRAL TO ATTEMPT TO GET GOING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE SAW PAPERWORK PRINTING ON ACARS AND ASSUMED IT TO BE THE NEW MAINT RELEASE. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AT THE SAME TIME THE PAPER WAS PRINTING AND TOOK OFF. PAPERWORK WAS NOT MAINT RELEASE; BUT LENGTHY MEL. WE; THEREFORE; TOOK OFF WITHOUT A VALID MAINT RELEASE. WE SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN SO RUSHED; AND CHKED THE PAPERWORK MORE CLOSELY. PERHAPS IF THERE WERE SOMETHING IN THE FLT MANUAL ALLUDING TO THE LENGTHY MEL THAT WOULD BE COMING; WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME.