Section 306: Prohibition of committing libel

1) No person shall defame or libel another person.

2) For the purposes of sub-section (1), a person who commits any of the following acts shall be deemed to commit defamation:

(a) By words in writing, by conduct or by signs or by visible representation or by publicity or by other means, damaging the character of another person by making imputation that, directly or indirectly, in the estimation of others, lowers the personal or moral character, conduct or reputation of that other person, or making imputation that causes it to be believed that the body of that other person is in a state generally considered as disgraceful or disseminating or publishing such imputation, with the intention of harming, or knowing, or having a reasonable reason to believe that, such imputation will harm, the reputation of that other person, or knowingly selling or distribution any thing which is used as a means of libeling any one,

(b) Making any imputation against a deceased person if the imputation would harm the reputation of that person if living, and is intended to be hurtful to the feelings of his or her family or other near relatives,

(c) Making or expressing an imputation in the form of an alternative or ironically.

3) Notwithstanding anything contained elsewhere in sub-section (2), none of the following acts shall be considered to be libel:

(a) Publishing or broadcasting anything which is true concerning any person, along with the evidence and basis, for the public good,

(b) Publishing in good faith and decently anything respecting the conduct of any public servant in the discharge of his or her public functions or respecting his or her character only so far as his or her character appears in that conduct,

(c) Expressing in good faith any opinion respecting the conduct of public office or position of any person and respecting his or her character only so far as his or her character appears in that conduct,

(d) Expressing in good faith and decently any opinion respecting the merits of any performance which its author has submitted to the public for opinion or respecting the character of the author only so far as his or her character appears in such performance,

(e) Passing in good faith any censure on the conduct of a person who has over another person any authority, either conferred by law or arising out of a contract made with that other person in matters to which such authority relates.

(f) Investigating into any offence in accordance with law or preferring accusation against him or her on that basis in accordance with law,

(g) Cautioning a person against another person, for his or her benefit or for the benefit of a person having his or her interest or for the benefit of the public.