According to the Guardian, they have been gagged from reporting parliament, despite the 1688 Bill of Rights:
“Today’s published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found.
The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented – for the first time in memory – from reporting parliament. Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret.
The only fact the Guardian can report is that the case involves the London solicitors Carter-Ruck, who specialise in suing the media for clients, who include individuals or global corporations.”
I wonder if it’s anything to do with this question (number 61), to be asked on Wednesday 14 October, by Paul Farrelly MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation to protect (a) whistleblowers and (b) press freedom following the injunctions obtained in the High Court by (i) Barclays and Freshfields solicitors on 19 March 2009 on the publication of internal Barclays reports documenting alleged tax avoidance schemes and (ii) Trafigura and Carter-Ruck solicitors on 11 September 2009 on the publication of the Minton report on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, commissioned by Trafigura.
[...] to see how active. Political bloggers were soon onto the matter with Guido Fawkes, Iain Dale and Tory Politico acting [...]
Comment du Jour: Guardian gagged, lawyer career wrecked and other matters… « Charon QC
13 Oct 09 at 07:04
[...] night Richard Wilson was slightly ahead of Guido and I in publishing the details of Carter-Ruck’s injunction, which banned The Guardian reporting on a parlimentary question into Trafigura and the dumped of [...]
Has Carter-Ruck gagged Richard Wilson? at Tory Politico
13 Oct 09 at 09:48
[...] you want an example of just how much the media a changed, the gagging of the Guardian is an excellent case study. Not only does it serve as a good example of how Britons ridiculous [...]
Mainstream media fails in covering Guardian Gag. at Tory Politico
13 Oct 09 at 12:07
[...] media’ coverage of this story), Next Left, Peter Black AM, Iain Dale, Subrosa, Me, Tory Politico and Old [...]
Blogosphere Reactions to the Carter-Ruck Gagging Order | Sharpe's Opinion
13 Oct 09 at 13:19
[...] Carter-Ruck have thrown in the towel and the Guardian is now free to report Paul Farrelly’s parliamentary question about Trafigura, without having to go to court. Fittingly the Guardian’s Editor Alan [...]
Carter-Ruck cave-in! at Tory Politico
13 Oct 09 at 13:20
[...] But as we now know the Minton Report did not become a story until they used the same injunction to prevent the legitimate reporting of parliament. If it were not for this act chances are the story would not have been a huge as it [...]
Trafigura’s new media fight-back begins with a whimper. at Tory Politico
17 Oct 09 at 00:58
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2 Nov 09 at 13:10