(1)For the purposes of the law of defamation, the following are absolutely privileged—
(a)any statement made by the Ombudsman in pursuance of section 11, 15, 16 or 17,
(b)any statement made by—
(i)the person aggrieved,
(ii)a person authorised for the purpose of subsection (1)(b) of section 9,
(iii)a person falling within subsection (3) of that section, or
(iv)a listed authority,
in communicating with the Ombudsman for the purposes of this Act, or by the Ombudsman in communicating with any such person or authority for those purposes,
(c)any statement made in pursuance of arrangements under section 15(4) or 16(5).
[F1(d)any statement made by the Ombudsman in pursuance of section 11 of the 2015 Act,
(e)any statement made by the Ombudsman in communicating with any person for the purposes of a welfare fund review,
(f)any statement made by any person in communicating with the Ombudsman for the purposes of such a review.]
(2)In subsection (1), “statement” has the same meaning as in the Defamation Act 1996 (c.31).
Textual Amendments
F1S. 18(1)(d)-(f) inserted (1.4.2016) by Welfare Funds (Scotland) Act 2015 (asp 5), ss. 13(4), 14(2); S.S.I. 2015/428, art. 2(2)