THE OBSERVER and the GUARDIAN V. UNITED KINGDOM
14 E.H.R.R. 153 153 THE OBSERVER AND THE GUARDIAN 1991 v. UNITED KINGDOM The Observer and the (Violation of freedom of expression) Guardian v. United BEFORE THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS Kingdom European Court (The President, Judge Ryssdal; Judges Cremona, Vilhjalmsson, of Human Bindschedler-Robert, GolciikHi,Matscher, Pinheiro Farinha, Pettiti, Rights Walsh, Sir Vincent.Evans,Macdonald, Russo, Bernhardt, Spielmann, De Meyer, Valticos, Martens, Palm, Foighel, Pekkanen, Loizou, Morenilla, Gigi, Baka) Series A, No 216 Application No. 13585/88 26 November 1991 The applicants were two British newspapers. They had published details of the book Spycatcher and information obtained from its author, Mr. Peter Wright. The material had been made public in proceedings brought by the Attorney General for England and Wales in Australia to restrain publication of Spycatcher there. The book recounted Mr. Wright's memoirs of his employment by the British Government in the British Security Service. Mr. Wright had allegedly breached his duty of confidentiality in seeking to publish the book. The Attorney General began proceedings in the English courts for permanent injunctions restraining the applicants from further publication of such material. Interlocutory injunctions were imposed to like effect from 27 June 1986, confirmedin an inter partes hearing on 11 July 1986 to take effect until 13 October 1988. On 14 July 1987, however, Spycatcher was published in the United States. On 30 July 1987, the House of Lords continued the original interlocutory
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