Evidence of a plaintiff's good reputation is admissible and relevant to the issue of justification in defamation proceedings, not merely to damages. However, such evidence may be of limited utility where the trial judge has applied the Briginshaw standard, the plaintiff's standing is otherwise apparent, and the allegations are made independently by multiple persons. The question of the meaning conveyed by a publication to the ordinary reasonable person is one of construction on which an appellate court is free to reach its own conclusion without deference to the trial judge.
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