(1)The First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly must, every five years, commission an independent person—
(a)to review the operation of the Commissioner, and
(b)to send a report to the First Minister and deputy First Minister on the findings of the review.
(2)The First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly may commission an independent person to act as mentioned in subsection (1) at such other times as they determine; and, if they do so, the period of five years referred to in subsection (1) accordingly runs from the date on which they do so.
(3)The report must include an assessment of whether there continues to be a need for the Commissioner; and the First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly must, in light of that assessment, determine whether the office of the Commissioner should continue.
For the purposes of the law of defamation, publication of anything under this Part by the Commissioner is absolutely privileged.