9   Causes of action

(1)  Where a person publishes any report, article, letter, note, picture, oral utterance or other thing, by means of which or by means of any part of which, and its publication, the publisher makes an imputation defamatory of another person, whether by innuendo or otherwise, then for the purposes of this section:

(a)  that report, article, letter, note, picture, oral utterance or thing is a matter, and

(b)  the imputation is made by means of the publication of that matter.

(2)  Where a person publishes any matter to any recipient and by means of that publication makes an imputation defamatory of another person, the person defamed has, in respect of that imputation, a cause of action against the publisher for the publication of that matter to that recipient:

(a)  in addition to any cause of action which the person defamed may have against the publisher for the publication of that matter to that recipient in respect of any other defamatory imputation made by means of that publication, and

(b)  in addition to any cause of action which the person defamed may have against that publisher for any publication of that matter to any other recipient.

(3)  Where a person has brought proceedings (whether in New South Wales or elsewhere) for defamation against any person in respect of the publication of any matter, that person shall not bring further proceedings for defamation against the same defendant in respect of the same or any other publication of the same or like matter, except with the leave of the court in which the further proceedings are to be brought.

(4)  Rules of court may prohibit or regulate the reliance by a plaintiff in proceedings for defamation on several imputations alleged to be made by means of the same matter published by the defendant, where the several imputations do not differ in substance.

(5)  Notwithstanding subsection (2), where proceedings for defamation in respect of the publication of any matter are tried before a jury, the jury shall, unless the court otherwise directs:

(a)  give a single verdict in respect of all the causes of action on which the plaintiff relies.

(b)  (Repealed)

(5A)  Notwithstanding subsection (2), if the court or the jury (if any) finds for the plaintiff as to more than one cause of action in the same proceedings for defamation, the court may assess damages in a single sum.

(6)  This section does not affect:

(a)  any law or practice relating to special verdicts, or

(b)  the powers of any court in case of vexatious proceedings or abuse of process.