On the trial of a person charged with the unlawful publication of defamatory matter—
(a) the jury may give a general verdict of guilty or not guilty upon the whole matter in issue, in like manner as in other cases; and
(b) the question whether any matter alleged to be defamatory is or is not capable of a defamatory meaning is a question of law.
S. 421 substituted by No. 9576 s. 6.