{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/public-finance-and-accountability-scotland-act-2000/section-23A",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/public-finance-and-accountability-scotland-act-2000/section-23A.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2000/1",
  "legislation_title": "Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/public-finance-and-accountability-scotland-act-2000",
  "path": "section/23A",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "23A",
  "heading": "Defamation",
  "text": "For the purposes of the law of defamation, the following are absolutely privileged—\n(a) reports sent to the Scottish Ministers under section 22(4),\n(b) results of an examination carried out and reported to the Parliament under section 23.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 23A inserted (1.10.2010) by Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 8), ss. 118(7), 134(7); S.S.I. 2010/321, art. 3, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 23A applied (1.10.2012) by Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 (asp 8), ss. 42(7), 129(2) (with s. 100); S.S.I. 2012/253, art. 2, sch."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2000/1/section/23A",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:17:30.319406+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."
}