Criminal Code (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46)

Marginal note:Answer to inquiries

313 No person shall be deemed to publish a defamatory libel by reason only that he publishes, in answer to inquiries made to him, defamatory matter relating to a subject-matter in respect of which the person by whom or on whose behalf the inquiries are made has an interest in knowing the truth or who, on reasonable grounds, the person who publishes the defamatory matter believes has such an interest, if

• (a) the matter is published, in good faith, for the purpose of giving information in answer to the inquiries;

• (b) the person who publishes the defamatory matter believes that it is true;

• (c) the defamatory matter is relevant to the inquiries; and

• (d) the defamatory matter does not in any respect exceed what is reasonably sufficient in the circumstances.