The Defamation Act 1996 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2009

Made: 25th October 2009

The Lord Chancellor, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 19(3) and (4) of the Defamation Act 1996[^f00001], makes the following Order.

1

This Order may be cited as the Defamation Act 1996 (Commencement No.4) Order 2009.

2

This Order extends to Northern Ireland only.

3

The following provisions of the Defamation Act 1996 shall come into force on 6th January 2010:

• (a) sections 2, 3 (apart from subsection (9)) and 4 (offer to make amends);

• (b) section 7 (meaning of statement);

• (c) sections 8 to 11 (summary disposal of claims); and

• (d) so far as they are not already in force, section 17(1) (interpretation), section 16 and Schedule 2 (repeals).

4

Section 4 of the Defamation Act (Northern Ireland) 1955[^f00002] shall continue to apply as if it had not been repealed to any offer of amends made before 6th January 2010, and to any legal proceedings relating to that offer.

Signed

Signed by the authority of the Lord Chancellor

Bridget Prentice — Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State — Ministry of Justice — 25th October 2009

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Order)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Order brings into force on 6th January 2010 all the provisions of the Defamation Act 1996 which apply in Northern Ireland and which have not so far been brought into force.

This Order also contains a transitional provision in relation to section 4 of the Defamation Act (Northern Ireland) 1955. Section 4 provides for offers of amends in cases of unintentional defamation and article 4 of the Order provides that it shall continue to apply as if it had not been repealed to any offer of amends made before 6th January 2010 and to any legal proceedings relating to that offer.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: 1996 c.31

[^f00002]: 1955 c.11 (N.I.)