(1)  A person who is or was a member of the clergy of any church or religious denomination is entitled to refuse to divulge that a religious confession was made, or the contents of a religious confession made, to the person when a member of the clergy.

(2)  Subsection (1) does not apply if the communication involved in the religious confession was made for a criminal purpose.

(3)  This section applies even if an Act provides –

(a) that the rules of evidence do not apply or that a person or body is not bound by the rules of evidence; or

(b) that a person is not excused from answering any question or producing any document or other thing on the ground of privilege or any other ground.

(4)  In this section,

religious confession means a confession made by a person to a member of the clergy in the member's professional capacity according to the ritual of the church or religious denomination concerned.