{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/government-of-wales-act-2006/section-42",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/government-of-wales-act-2006/section-42.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/2006/32",
  "legislation_title": "Government of Wales Act 2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/government-of-wales-act-2006",
  "path": "section/42",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "42",
  "heading": "Defamation",
  "text": "(1) For the purposes of the law of defamation—\n(a) any statement made in Senedd proceedings, and\n(b) the publication under the authority of the Senedd of any statement,\nis absolutely privileged.\n(2) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations make provision for and in connection with establishing in any legal proceedings that any statement or publication is absolutely privileged by virtue of subsection (1).\n(3) No regulations are to be made under subsection (2) unless a draft of the statutory instrument containing them has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Senedd .\n(4) In this section “statement” has the same meaning as in the Defamation Act 1996 (c. 31).",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in Act substituted (6.5.2020) by Senedd and Elections (Wales) Act 2020 (anaw 1), s. 42(2), Sch. 1 para. 2(19) (with Sch. 1 para. 2(11)-(14))"
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "Ss. 1-94, 97-106 in force immediately after \"the 2007 election\" by s. 161(1) (subject to s. 161(4)(5))"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/32/section/42",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T09:14:12.769607+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."
}