Section 172Part 5 — Offences Injurious to the Public in General
Definition of defamatory matter
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172. “Defamatory matter” means matter likely to injure the reputation of any person by exposing that person to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or likely to damage any person in that person’s profession or trade by an injury to that person’s reputation. It is immaterial whether at the time of such publication the person concerning whom such matter is published is living or dead: Provided that no prosecution for the publication of defamatory matter concerning a dead person shall be instituted without the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.