17J   Matters arising under the Legal Profession Act 1987

(1)  There is a defence of absolute privilege:

(a)  for a publication to or by any of the following:

(i)  the Bar Council,

(ii)  a member of the Bar Council as such a member,

(iii)  a committee or subcommittee of the Bar Council, or any member of a committee or subcommittee of the Bar Council,

(iv)  the Law Society Council,

(v)  a member of the Law Society Council as such a member,

(vi)  a committee or subcommittee of the Law Society Council, or any member of a committee or subcommittee of the Law Society Council,

(vii)  the Bar Association,

(viii)  the Law Society,

(ix)  the Legal Services Commissioner,

(x)  (Repealed)

(xi)  any member of the staff of any of the above as such a member,

      for the purpose of the making or referral of a complaint, or the investigation, hearing or review of a complaint, under Part 10 of the Legal Profession Act 1987, and

(b)  for the publication by a body or person referred to in paragraph (a) of a report of the decision or determination of the body or person in respect of a complaint, and of the reasons for that decision or determination, under Part 10 of the Legal Profession Act 1987, and

(c)  for the publication by a person or body referred to in paragraph (a) to such a person or body of information in accordance with the exercise of functions under Part 3 or Part 5A of the Legal Profession Act 1987, and

(d)  for the publication by a person or body referred to in paragraph (a) of a report of the decision or determination of the Bar Council or the Law Society Council in respect of the refusal to issue, cancellation or suspension of a practising certificate.

(2)  This section extends to all publications made on or after 1 January 1988 (the date of commencement of this section) regardless of whether the body or person who made the publication, or to whom the publication was made, was at the relevant time a body or person referred to in subsection (1) (a).