{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/defamation-act-1996/introduction",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/defamation-act-1996/introduction.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1996/31",
  "legislation_title": "Defamation Act 1996",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/defamation-act-1996",
  "path": "introduction",
  "kind": "introduction",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Introductory text",
  "text": "An Act to amend the law of defamation and to amend the law of limitation with respect to actions for defamation or malicious falsehood.\n[4th July 1996]\nBe 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:—",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Act transfer of functions (12.4.2010) by The Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), Sch. 17 para. 14 (with arts. 28-31)"
    },
    {
      "type": "E",
      "label": "E1",
      "text": "For extent see s. 18(1)(2)(3)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/31/introduction",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:31:02.600018+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}