3.9 Indemnities
The guidelines for the grant of indemnities and legal assistance to Ministers and Assistant Ministers are provided at Appendix 5 (PDF).
Separate guidelines relate to the grant of indemnities and legal assistance to state employees. These guidelines apply to ministerial staff and can be found on the website of the Public Service Commissioner.
Defamation
Claims against Ministers or former Ministers have the potential to expose the State to the payment of significant legal costs.
Ministers need to exercise care when making statements about members of the public which could be seen as defamatory.
If a Minister is alleged to have made a defamatory statement, the Minister should have regard to the provisions relating to defamation in the Guideline for the Grant of Indemnities and Legal Assistance to Ministers and Assistant Ministers.