(11-23-2018, 11:50 PM)palaisbellevuebz Wrote: I support this because I believe in everyone having the right to protect their own name and defend themselves from reputational harm. However, I have concerns regarding the scope of this defamation law and its restriction on the freedom of speech of all South Pacificans. Because a defamation defendant could even be liable if they expressed their defamatory comment as an opinion of their own, as it qualifies under one of the two criteria: damaging the standing of an individual and done so with a reckless disregard for its factual accuracy.

I don't agree that a defamation law would restrict 'free speech'. People still have right to say what they want, and a defence would surely be that the words were true.
(If Such a concept of free speech actually exists anyway - as things are always restricted).

However, I agree care should be taken, a third party repeating/quoting a slanderous/libellous statement could fall into the defamation case. For me, however, that's common sense.