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Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
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- Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
- 2016 c. 4
- PART 4
- Protection from defamation
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Protection from defamationN.I.
Privilege for certain publicationsN.I.
48—(1) For the purposes of the law of defamation, any publication to which this section applies is absolutely privileged.
(2) This section applies to—
(a)publication by the Ombudsman of a report under this Act,
(b)publication by the Ombudsman of any statement made in communication with any person, in connection with an investigation,
(c)publication by a person aggrieved, in the course of communication with the Ombudsman, of any statement made by the person aggrieved in connection with an investigation,
(d)publication by the Ombudsman of any other matter in the discharge of the Ombudsman's functions under this Act.
(3) In this section "statement" has the meaning given in the Defamation Act 1996.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 48 applied (with modifications) by Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 (c. 8), s. 63(1)(6) (as substituted (1.4.2016) by Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (c. 4), s. 64, Sch. 7 para. 5 (with ss. 23, 50(3), Sch. 2 para. 9))
C2S. 48 applied by Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 (c. 8), s. 63(6) (as substituted (1.4.2016) by Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (c. 4), s. 64, Sch. 7 para. 5 (with ss. 23, 50(3), Sch. 2 para. 9))
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