Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 27. CIVIL LIABILITY, REMEDIES, AND LIMITATIONS

CHAPTER 1. AVAILABILITY OF REMEDIES -- LIABILITY

Part 8. Libel and Slander

What Communications Are Privileged

27-1-804. What communications are privileged. A privileged publication is one made:

(1) in the proper discharge of an official duty;

(2) in any legislative or judicial proceeding or in any other official proceeding authorized by law;

(3) in a communication without malice to a person interested therein by one who is also interested or by one who stands in such relation to the person interested as to afford a reasonable ground for supposing the motive for the communication innocent or who is requested by the person interested to give the information;

(4) by a fair and true report without malice of a judicial, legislative, or other public official proceeding or of anything said in the course thereof.

History: En. Sec. 34, Civ. C. 1895; re-en. Sec. 3604, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 5692, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. Civ. C. Sec. 47; Based on Field Civ. C. Sec. 31; re-en. Sec. 5692, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 64-208.