Every communication, whether oral or written made by or on behalf of any person or firm to the board or any person designated by it to investigate or otherwise hear matters relating to the revocation, suspension or other restriction on a license or other discipline of a licensee, whether by way of complaint or testimony, shall be privileged; and no action or proceeding, civil or criminal, shall lie against any such person or firm by or on whose behalf such communication shall have been made by reason thereof, except upon proof that such communication was made with malice.

No provision of this chapter shall be construed as prohibiting the respondent or his legal counsel from exercising the respondent’s constitutional right of due process under the law, nor to prohibit the respondent from normal access to the charges and evidence filed against him as a part of due process under the law.