Tasmanian Numbered Acts

DEFAMATION ACT 2005 (NO. 73 OF 2005) - SECT 4

4. Interpretation

In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears –

"Australian court" means any court established by or under a law of an Australian jurisdiction (including a court conducting committal proceedings for an indictable offence);

"Australian jurisdiction" means –

(a) a State; or

(b) a Territory; or

(c) the Commonwealth;

"Australian tribunal" means any tribunal (other than a court) established by or under a law of an Australian jurisdiction that has the power to take evidence from witnesses before it on oath or affirmation (including a Royal Commission or other special commission of inquiry);

"country" includes –

(a) a federation and a state, territory, province or other part of a federation; and

(b) an Australian jurisdiction;

"court" means –

(a) the Supreme Court; or

(b) the Magistrates Court;

"document" means any record of information, and includes –

(a) anything on which there is writing; and

(b) anything on which there are marks, figures, symbols or perforations having a meaning for persons qualified to interpret them; and

(c) anything from which sounds, images or writings can be reproduced with or without the aid of anything else; and

(d) a map, plan, drawing or photograph;

"electronic communication" includes a communication of information in the form of data, text, images or sound (or any combination of these) by means of guided or unguided electromagnetic energy, or both;

"general law" means the common law and equity;

"matter" includes –

(a) an article, report, advertisement or other thing communicated by means of a newspaper, magazine or other periodical; and

(b) a program, report, advertisement or other thing communicated by means of television, radio, the internet or any other form of electronic communication; and

(c) a letter, note or other writing; and

(d) a picture, gesture or oral utterance; and

(e) any other thing by means of which something may be communicated to a person;

"offer to make amends" means an offer to make amends under Division 1 of Part 3;

"Parliamentary body" means –

(a) a parliament or legislature of any country; or

(b) a house of parliament or legislature of any country; or

(c) a committee of a parliament or legislature of any country; or

(d) a committee of a house or houses of a parliament or legislature of any country;

"substantially true" means true in substance or not materially different from the truth;

"Territory" means the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory;

"this jurisdiction" means Tasmania.