[s 9]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 13
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
(3) A written complaint is given under this section
about the publication of defamatory digital matter
if—
(a) the complaint contained information
sufficient to enable a reasonable person in
the defendant’s circumstances to be made
aware of the following—
(i) the name of the plaintiff;
(ii) the matter and where it could be
located;
(iii) that the plaintiff considered the matter
to be defamatory; and
(b) the complaint was given using an accessible
complaints mechanism for the plaintiff to
use or given to the defendant in another way
permitted by section 44.
(4) A defence under this section is defeated only if the
plaintiff proves the defendant was actuated by
malice in establishing or providing the online
service by means of which the digital matter was
published.
(5) A defendant who would otherwise be a digital
intermediary in relation to the publication of
digital matter does not cease to be a digital
intermediary for this section merely because the
defendant took steps to detect or identify, or steps
to remove, block, disable or otherwise prevent
access by persons to, the following—
(a) defamatory or other unlawful content
published, or sought to be published, by a
person using the online service provided by
the defendant;
(b) other content published, or sought to be
published, by a person using the online
service provided by the defendant that was
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[s 10]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 14
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
incompatible with the terms or conditions
under which the service was provided.
Note—
This subsection allows a defendant to rely on the
defence despite the definition of digital intermediary in
schedule 5 excluding authors, originators or posters of
digital matter if the defendant’s editorial or moderating
role over content published using the online service was
limited to the steps mentioned in the subsection.
(6) In this section—
accessible complaints mechanism, for a plaintiff
to use, means an easily accessible address,
location or other mechanism available for the
plaintiff to use to complain to the defendant about
the publication of the digital matter concerned.
Examples of an accessible complaints mechanism
• an email address or direct messaging address to
which a complaint may be sent
• a webpage, or a part of a webpage, enabling details
about a complaint to be uploaded or inputted
10 Insertion of new s 39A
After section 39—
insert—
39A Orders against non-party digital
intermediaries concerning defamatory digital
matter
(1) This section applies in relation to defamation
proceedings for the publication of digital matter
if—
(a) the plaintiff has obtained judgment for
defamation against the defendant in the
proceedings; or
(b) a court has granted a temporary injunction
or makes another temporary order
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[s 10]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 15
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
preventing the defendant from continuing to
publish, or from republishing, the matter
pending the determination of the
proceedings; or
(c) a court has granted a final injunction or
makes another final order preventing the
defendant from continuing to publish, or
from republishing, the matter.
(2) In defamation proceedings to which this section
applies, the court may order a digital intermediary
who is not a party to the proceedings (a non-party
digital intermediary) to take access prevention
steps or other steps the court considers necessary
in the circumstances—
(a) to prevent or limit the continued publication
or republication of the matter; or
(b) to comply with, or otherwise give effect to,
the judgment, injunction or other order
mentioned in subsection (1).
(3) Without limiting subsection (2), an order under
this section may—
(a) require 1 or more steps to be taken; or
(b) require a step to be taken in relation to all, or
only some, of the users of an online service.
(4) The court may not make an order under this
section against a non-party digital intermediary
unless the intermediary has been given an
opportunity to be heard about whether it is
appropriate for the order to be made.
(5) Despite subsection (4), the court may make a
temporary order without giving the non-party
digital intermediary an opportunity to be heard
about whether it is appropriate to make the order
if the court considers it necessary in the
circumstances for the order to be made
expeditiously pending a subsequent hearing
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[s 11]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 16
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
concerning whether a further temporary order or a
final order should be made.
(6) An order may be made under this section even if
the non-party digital intermediary is not, or may
not be, liable for defamation, including because of
a defence, for the publication of the digital matter
to which the defamation proceedings relate.
(7) This section does not limit other powers the court
may have apart from this section to grant
injunctions or make other orders requiring a
non-party digital intermediary to take access
prevention steps or other steps.
11 Amendment of s 44 (Giving of notices and other
documents)
(1) Section 44(1)(a)(iv)—
omit, insert—
(iv) by sending it by email, messaging or other
electronic communication to an electronic
address or location indicated by the person
for giving documents to, or serving
documents on, the person; or
(2) Section 44(1)(b)(iii)—
omit, insert—
(iii) by sending it by email, messaging or other
electronic communication to an electronic
address or location indicated by the body
corporate for giving documents to, or
serving documents on, the body corporate.
Examples for paragraphs (a)(iv) and (b)(iii)—
• an email address or direct messaging address set out
on an internet-based social media forum for
contacting the administrator of the forum about
content on the forum
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Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 17
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
• an email address or direct messaging address
provided by the poster of digital matter on an
internet-based social media forum for contacting
the poster about the content of the matter
• a form on a website provided by a digital
intermediary enabling a user to contact the
intermediary by filling in the form or uploading
documents
(3) Section 44(2), after ‘be’—
insert—
given to or
12 Insertion of new pt 6 and div 1, hdgs
After section 47—
insert—
Part 6 Transitional provisions
Division 1 Transitional provision for
Act No. 55 of 2005
13 Amendment of s 49 (Savings, transitional and other
provisions for Act No. 55 of 2005)
Section 49, heading—
omit, insert—
49 Causes of action for publication of defamatory
matter
14 Insertion of new pt 6, div 2, hdg
After section 49—
insert—
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[s 15]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 18
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
Division 2 Transitional provision for
Defamation (Model
Provisions) and Other
Legislation Amendment
Act 2021
15 Amendment of s 50 (Transitional provision for
Defamation (Model Provisions) and Other Legislation
Amendment Act 2021)
Section 50, heading—
omit, insert—
50 Publication of defamatory matter after
commencement
16 Insertion of new pt 6, div 3
Part 6, as inserted by this Act—
insert—
Division 3 Transitional provisions for
Defamation and Other
Legislation Amendment
Act 2025
51 Definitions for division
In this division—
2025 amendments means amendments made to
this Act by the Defamation and Other Legislation
Amendment Act 2025.
existing law, in relation to the 2025 amendments
about a subject, means the law that would have
applied if the amendments had not been enacted.
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[s 16]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 19
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
post-commencement action, in relation to the
2025 amendments about a subject, means a cause
of action for the publication of defamatory matter
accruing after the commencement of the
amendments.
pre-commencement action, in relation to the
2025 amendments about a subject, means a cause
of action for the publication of defamatory matter
accruing before the commencement of the
amendments.
52 Digital intermediary amendments
(1) This section applies to the 2025 amendments
about the following (the digital intermediary
amendments)—
(a) exempting digital intermediaries from
liability for defamation;
(b) providing a defence for publications of
defamatory digital matter involving digital
intermediaries.
(2) Except as provided by subsection (3)(b), the
digital intermediary amendments apply to a
post-commencement action.
(3) The existing law continues to apply despite the
digital intermediary amendments—
(a) to a pre-commencement action; and
(b) to a post-commencement action, but only
if—
(i) the post-commencement action is 1 of
2 or more causes of action in
proceedings commenced by a plaintiff;
and
(ii) each cause of action in the proceedings
accrues because of the publication of
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[s 16]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 20
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
the same, or substantially the same,
matter on separate occasions, whether
by the same defendant or another
defendant; and
(iii) 1 or more of the other causes of action
in the proceedings are
pre-commencement actions; and
(iv) the post-commencement action
accrued no later than 1 year after the
date on which the earliest
pre-commencement action in the
proceedings accrued.
53 Offer amendments
(1) This section applies to the 2025 amendments
about offers to make amends (the offer
amendments).
(2) The offer amendments apply to offers to make
amends made after the commencement of the
amendments regardless of whether the offers
relate to publications occurring before or after the
commencement.
(3) The existing law continues to apply despite the
offer amendments to offers to make amends made
before the commencement of the amendments.
54 Preliminary discovery or non-party digital
intermediary order amendments
(1) This section applies to the 2025 amendments
about courts making the following orders (the
preliminary discovery or non-party digital
intermediary order amendments)—
(a) for, or in the nature of, preliminary
discovery;
(b) to take steps—
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Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 21
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
(i) to prevent or limit the continued
publication or republication of
defamatory matter; or
(ii) to comply with, or otherwise give
effect to, judgments, injunctions or
other court orders.
(2) Except as provided by subsection (3)(b), the
preliminary discovery or non-party digital
intermediary order amendments apply to the
making of an order after the commencement of
the amendments regardless of whether the
proceedings in which the order is made—
(a) involve a pre-commencement action or
post-commencement action; or
(b) were commenced before or after the
commencement of the amendments.
(3) The existing law continues to apply despite the
preliminary discovery or non-party digital
intermediary order amendments—
(a) to an order made before the commencement
of the amendments; or
(b) to the variation or revocation of an order
made before the commencement of the
amendments.
55 Absolute privilege amendments
(1) This section applies to the 2025 amendments
about the defence of absolute privilege in its
application to publications to officials of police
forces or services of Australian jurisdictions (the
absolute privilege amendments).
(2) The absolute privilege amendments apply to a
post-commencement action.
(3) The existing law continues to apply despite the
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Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 22
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
absolute privilege amendments to a
pre-commencement action.
56 Document giving or service amendments
(1) This section applies to the 2025 amendments
about the ways in which notices or other
documents for the purposes of this Act must or
may be given to, or served on, individuals or
bodies corporate (the document giving or service
amendments).
(2) The document giving or service amendments
apply to the giving or service of notices or other
documents after the commencement of the
amendments regardless of whether the notices or
other documents relate—
(a) to pre-commencement actions or
post-commencement actions; or
(b) to proceedings commenced before or after
the commencement of the amendments.
(3) The existing law continues to apply despite the
document giving or service amendments to the
giving or service of notices or other documents
before the commencement of the amendments.
17 Amendment of schedule, hdg (Schedule numbers 1–3 not
used)
Schedule, heading, ‘3’—
omit, insert—
4
18 Amendment of sch 5 (Dictionary)
Schedule 5—
insert—
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Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 2 Amendment of Defamation Act 2005
Page 23
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
access prevention step, in relation to the publication of digital
matter, means a step—
(a) to remove the matter; or
(b) to block, disable or otherwise prevent access, whether
by some or all persons, to the matter.
digital intermediary, in relation to the publication of digital
matter, means a person, other than an author, originator or
poster of the matter, who provides or administers the online
service by means of which the matter is published.
Note—
There may be more than 1 digital intermediary in relation to the
publication of the same digital matter.
digital matter means matter published in electronic form by
means of an online service.
online service means a service provided to a person, whether
or not it is requested or it is for a fee or reward, to enable the
person to use the internet, including, without limitation, a
service enabling a person—
(a) to access or connect to the internet; or
(b) to use the internet to do 1 or more of the following—
(i) send or receive content;
(ii) store content;
(iii) index content;
(iv) search for content;
(v) share content;
(vi) interact with other persons.
Examples of an online service—
• an internet-based social media platform
• a forum created or administered by a person using a facility
provided by an internet-based social media platform that enables
users to share content or interact with other users about a topic
• a website or other internet-based platform that enables knowledge
to be shared by or with its users
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[s 19]
Defamation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Part 3 Amendment of Criminal Code
Page 24
Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel
poster, in relation to the publication of digital matter, means a
person who uses the online service by means of which the
matter is published for the purpose of communicating the
matter to 1 or more other persons.
Part 3 Amendment of Criminal Code
19 Code amended
This part amends the Criminal Code.
20 Amendment of s 365 (Criminal defamation)
(1) Section 365(1), ‘, without lawful excuse,’—
omit.
(2) Section 365—
insert—
(1A) However, the person does not commit an offence
against subsection (1) if the person has a lawful
excuse for the publication of the defamatory
matter.
(3) Section 365(2), ‘subsection (3)’—
omit, insert—
subsection (4) or (5)
(4) Section 365—
insert—
(3A) This subsection applies if, having regard to the
circumstances happening before, at the time of
publication or after the publication—
(a) the accused person would not be liable for
defamation for the publication under a
relevant digital intermediary provision if the
relevant person brought civil proceedings
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