102 Protection against actions for defamation or breach of confidence

(1) If access has been given to a document and—

(a) the access was required or permitted by this Act to be given; or

(b) the access was authorised by a Minister, or by an officer having authority under section 33 to make decisions in relation to applications, in the genuine belief that the access was required or permitted to be given by this Act; then—

(c) no action for defamation or breach of confidence lies against the State, an agency, a Minister or an officer because of the authorising or giving of the access; and

(d) no action for defamation or breach of confidence in relation to any publication involved in, or resulting from, the giving of the access lies against the author of the document or another person because of the author or another person having supplied the document to an agency or Minister.

2) The giving of access to a document (including an exempt document) because of an application must not be taken for the purposes of the law relating to defamation or breach of confidence to constitute an authorisation or approval of the publication of the document or its contents by the person to whom access is given.