{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1974/section-34L",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1974/section-34L.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1974/7",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government Act 1974",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1974",
  "path": "section/34L",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "34L",
  "heading": "Law of defamation",
  "text": "(1) For the purposes of the law of defamation the following are absolutely privileged—\n(a) the publication of any matter in communications between an adult social care provider and a Local Commissioner, or any person discharging or assisting in the discharge of a function of a Local Commissioner, for the purposes of this Part;\n(b) the publication of any matter by a Local Commissioner or by any person discharging or assisting in the discharge of a function of a Local Commissioner, in communicating for the purposes of this Part with a person mentioned in subsection (2);\n(c) the publication of any matter in preparing, making and sending a statement in accordance with section 34H;\n(d) the publication of any matter by inclusion in an adverse findings notice published in accordance with section 34I(3), (4) and (5) or (6);\n(e) the publication of any matter by inclusion in a statement, adverse findings notice or summary published or supplied under section 34J;\n(f) the publication of any matter contained in a report by a Local Commissioner which has been made available to the public, being publication by inclusion in a report made or published under section 34S.\n(2) The persons mentioned in subsection (1)(b) are—\n(a) a complainant or the person affected in relation to a matter;\n(b) the Parliamentary Commissioner, the Health Service Commissioner or any officer of either such Commissioner;\n(c) the Care Quality Commission or any officer of that Commission;\n(d) a local authority.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 3A inserted (1.10.2010) by Health Act 2009 (c. 21), s. 40(1), Sch. 5 para. 2; S.I. 2010/1863, art. 2"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/7/section/34L",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:46:10.523024+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."
}