Libel and slander – Meaning. In the claimant's libel and malicious falsehood proceedings against the defendants, the Queen's Bench Division ruled on preliminary issues, namely: (i) the assessment of the natural and ordinary meaning for the purposes of libel; (ii) whether that meaning was fact and/or opinion; (iii) whether the meaning raised the inference of serious harm under s 1 of the Defamation Act 2013; and (iv) whether the meanings advanced by the claimant were capable meanings for the purposes of the malicious falsehood claim.