Electronic Documents Between 25 September 2001 And 31 December 2005 Concerning Reforms Made To Limitation Periods When Compiling The Model Defamation Provisions 2005.

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Documents from a 2003 Standing Committee of Attorneys-General meeting reveal deliberations on reforming defamation law across Australian jurisdictions. The materials discuss longstanding inconsistencies in State and Territory defamation legislation spanning three centuries—from Queensland's 1889 Act to more recent provisions—and propose establishing key principles for uniformity. A central reform recommendation addresses limitation periods, proposing a one-year limitation for defamation actions from publication, with judicial discretion to extend to three years in exceptional circumstances. The documents indicate consideration of drafting model provisions through the Parliamentary Counsels Committee to standardise defamation law and facilitate consultation with stakeholders including the Law Council of Australia and Australian Press Council. Substantial portions were redacted under section 22 (irrelevant to scope of request), limiting visibility of additional reform proposals and policy reasoning.