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Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019
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Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019, Section 71 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 13 May 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 71:
- s. 42(1)(d) inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(4)(a)
- s. 47(2)(e) and word inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(5)(b)
- s. 64A inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(6)
- s. 65(7)(f) inserted by 2022 c. 30 Sch. 10 para. 6(2)(a) (Welsh language text)
- s. 65(7)(f) inserted by 2022 c. 30 Sch. 10 para. 6(2)(b) (English language text)
- s. 71(1)(d)(i) words substituted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(7)
- s. 79(1)(g) inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(9)(a)
- s. 79(7A) inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(9)(b)
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 42(1)(d) inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(4)(a)
- s. 47(2)(e) and word inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(5)(b)
- s. 64A inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(6)
- s. 65(7)(f) inserted by 2022 c. 30 Sch. 10 para. 6(2)(a) (Welsh language text)
- s. 65(7)(f) inserted by 2022 c. 30 Sch. 10 para. 6(2)(b) (English language text)
- s. 79(1)(g) inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(9)(a)
- s. 79(7A) inserted by 2025 asc 1 Sch. 2 para. 6(9)(b)
71Protection from defamation claimsE+W
This section has no associated Explanatory Notes
(1)For the purposes of the law of defamation, the following are absolutely privileged—
(a)the publication of a matter, in the discharge of any of the Ombudsman's functions under this Act, by the Ombudsman, a member of the Ombudsman's staff or another person acting on the Ombudsman's behalf or assisting the Ombudsman in the discharge of any of the Ombudsman' functions;
(b)the publication of a matter by a person in the discharge of functions under—
(i)section 24;
(ii)section 24 as modified by section 25;
(iii)sections 24 and 25 as they apply to special reports (see section 29(6));
(c)the publication of a matter in connection with a complaint or an investigation, in communications between—
(i)a listed authority, a member or co-opted member of a listed authority, an officer or member of the staff of a listed authority or another person acting on behalf of a listed authority or assisting it in the discharge of any of its functions, and
(ii)the Ombudsman, a member of the Ombudsman's staff or another person acting on the Ombudsman's behalf or assisting the Ombudsman in the discharge of any of the Ombudsman's functions;
(d)the publication of a matter in connection with a complaint or an investigation, in communications between—
(i)a care home provider, domiciliary care provider or independent palliative care provider, an officer or member of staff of such a provider or another person acting on behalf of such a provider or assisting it in the discharge of any of its functions, and
(ii)the Ombudsman, a member of the Ombudsman's staff or another person acting on the Ombudsman's behalf or assisting the Ombudsman in the discharge of any of the Ombudsman's functions;
(e)the publication of a matter in connection with a complaint or an investigation, in communications between a person and an Assembly member;
(f)the publication of a matter in connection with a complaint made or referred (or to be made or referred) by or on behalf of a person to the Ombudsman under this Act, in communications between—
(i)the person, and
(ii)the Ombudsman, a member of the Ombudsman's staff or another person acting on the Ombudsman's behalf or assisting the Ombudsman in the discharge of any of the Ombudsman's functions.
(2)For the purposes of subsection (1)(d)(i) a person is an officer of a provider if the person has control or management of a provider which is not an individual or the affairs of such a provider.
(3)In this section, reference to matters in connection with an investigation include matters in connection with the Ombudsman's decision whether to investigate or not.
Commencement Information
I1S. 71 in force at 23.7.2019 by S.I. 2019/1096, reg. 2
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