Newspaper reports of proceedings of public meetings and of certain bodies and persons privileged

(1) A fair and accurate report published in any newspaper or broadcast of the proceedings of a public meeting, or (except where neither the public nor any newspaper reporter is admitted) of any meeting of a city council, town council, school board or of any board or committee formed, constituted or appointed under the provisions of any Act, or of any meeting of any commissioners authorised to act by any Act or otherwise appointed by a Minister or other lawful warrant or authority, select or standing committee of the National Assembly, and the publication at the request of the head of any Government Department, commissioner or the Commissioner of Police, of any notice or report issued by them for the information of the public shall be privileged, unless it is proved that such report or publication was published or made maliciously, Provided that, (a) nothing in this section shall authorise the publication of any blasphemous or indecent (b) the protection intended to be afforded by this section shall not be available as a defence in any proceedings if it is proved that the defendant has been requested to insert in the newspaper in which the report or other publication complained of appeared a reasonable letter or statement by way of contradiction or explanation, of such report or other publication and has refused or neglected to insert it; 7 (c) nothing contained in this section shall be deemed or construed to limit or abridge any privilege now by law existing, or to protect the publication of any matter not of public concern and the publication of which is not for the public benefit. (2) For the purposes of this section, “public meeting” means any meeting bona fide and lawfully held for a lawful purpose, and for the furtherance or discussion of any matter of public concern, whether the admission thereto is general or restricted.