Paragraph 20

Any person who, or any director of any body or association corporate which, for the purpose of affecting the return of any candidate at any election, makes or publishes before or during that election any false statement of fact in relation to the personal character or conduct of the candidate shall be guilty of an illegal practice, unless he can show that he had reasonable grounds for believing, and did believe, the statement to be true.

The High Court or county court may by interim or perpetual injunction restrain a person making or publishing any false statement of fact as aforesaid, from any repetition of that false statement or of a false statement of a similar character in relation to the candidate; and such an interim injunction may be granted on prima facie proof of the falsity of the statement.