Defamation Act 1996
Responsibility for publication
1 Responsibility for publication.
Offer to make amends
2 Offer to make amends.
3 Accepting an offer to make amends.
4 Failure to accept offer to make amends.
Limitation
5 Limitation of actions: England and Wales.
6 Limitation of actions: Northern Ireland.
The meaning of a statement
7 Ruling on the meaning of a statement.
Summary disposal of claim
8 Summary disposal of claim.
9 Meaning of summary relief.
10 Summary disposal: rules of court.
11 Summary disposal: application to Northern Ireland.
Evidence of convictions
12 Evidence of convictions.
Evidence concerning proceedings in Parliament
13 Evidence concerning proceedings in Parliament.
Statutory privilege
14 Reports of court proceedings absolutely privileged.
15 Reports, &c. protected by qualified privilege.
Supplementary provisions
16 Repeals.
17 Interpretation.
General provisions
18 Extent.
19 Commencement.
20 Short title and saving.
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE 1 Qualified privilege
Part I Statements having qualified privilege without explanation or contradiction
1A fair and accurate report of proceedings in public of...
2A fair and accurate report of proceedings in public before...
3A fair and accurate report of proceedings in public of...
4A fair and accurate report of proceedings in public anywhere...
5A fair and accurate copy of or extract from any...
6A notice or advertisement published by or on the authority...
7A fair and accurate copy of or extract from matter...
8A fair and accurate copy of or extract from matter...
Part II Statements privileged subject to explanation or contradiction
9(1) A fair and accurate copy of or extract from...
10A fair and accurate copy of or extract from a...
11(1) A fair and accurate report of proceedings at any...
12(1) A fair and accurate report of proceedings at any...
13(1) A fair and accurate report of proceedings at a...
14A fair and accurate report of any finding or decision...
15(1) A fair and accurate report of, or copy of...
Part III Supplementary provisions
16(1) In this Schedule— “court” includes any tribunal or body...
17(1) Provision may be made by order identifying—
SCHEDULE 2Repeals

Royal arms

Defamation Act 1996

1996 CHAPTER 31

An Act to amend the law of defamation and to amend the law of limitation with respect to actions for defamation or malicious falsehood.

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—