For the purposes of the law of defamation, any statement made in pursuance of the purposes of this Act by the Commission or any of its employees or by the Chief Investigating Officer or any of that Officer’s employees shall be absolutely privileged.

In subsection (1) above—

• “statement” has the same meaning as in the Defamation Act 1996 (c. 31);

• “employee” shall be construed in accordance with paragraphs 7 and 8 of schedule 1 to this Act.