Personally, I wouldn't use chilli or other noxious substances because they can cause such suffering. Badgers - and other 'pests'- cannot help being badgers and doing what badgers do. A physical barrier does not harm them but it does protect your garden.
I have a set of badgers at the bottom of my garden and have found that the only thing that keeps them off my flower beds is a strategically sited deer detering radio. It turns on when motion is detected and then turns off 15 seconds later (you can alter this and how sensitive it is to motion too). Tune it to radio 4 or a talking channel rather than a music channel. I have a wildlife camera near it and have seen that of at least 5 badgers, just one is not deterred by this. I wouldn't say that the others seem particularly scared, they just keep away from it (they seem to know exactly where it will be triggered... clever things!).
Electric fence or really tough metal mesh fence. I haven't tried Radio 4 but I don't think it would put off my badgers for very long, they're a tough, noisy crew and not very worried about real people, never mind voices!
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