Article 612 — Non-Punishable Comment and Averments

The following are not punishable as injury to honour: a) considered opinions and well-founded criticism, couched in proper and moderate terms, concerning personal aptitudes or artistic, literary, scientific, professional or social activities, creations or productions; or b) averments, statements or comments uttered or repeated by a public servant or by an advocate or attorney, by an expert or witness, by a journalist or by any other person acting in good faith in the discharge of his duties, especially by way of investigations, reports or depositions, in the defence before court or before the administrative authorities, or by way of authorized public information service, where the alleged facts are germane to and remain within the confines thereof and where they are not uttered with express intent to discredit. CHAPTET II SPECIAL PROVISIONS; INJURY TO HONOUR