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Meaning.
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14.— (1) The court, in a defamation action, may give a ruling—
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(a) as to whether the statement in respect of which the action was brought is reasonably capable of bearing the imputation pleaded by the plaintiff, and
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(b) (where the court rules that that statement is reasonably capable of bearing that imputation) as to whether that imputation is reasonably capable of bearing a defamatory meaning,
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upon an application being made to it in that behalf.
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(2) Where a court rules under subsection (1) that—
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(a) the statement in respect of which the action was brought is not reasonably capable of bearing the imputationpleaded by the plaintiff, or
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(b) that any imputation so pleaded is not reasonably capable of bearing a defamatory meaning,
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it shall dismiss the action in so far only as it relates to the imputation concerned.
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(3) An application under this section shall be brought by notice of motion and shall be determined, in the case of a defamation action brought in the High Court, in the absence of the jury.
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(4) An application under this section may be brought at any time after the bringing of the defamation action concerned includingduring the course of the trial of the action.
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