TNAG-1694-FCO40-2344-Broadcasting-in-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 76

Date:

24.8.87

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11 am

Time:

Reporter:

10

CNB/4

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On the 22nd of July the Attorney General of

Hong Kong stated that he had no intention at present of seeking

an injunction or other Order from the Hong Kong courts to restrain publication of "Spycatcher" or extracts therefrom.

The Court of Appeal in England heard an appeal against the decision of the Vice-Chancellor on the 23rd of July.

The Court of The judgment was delivered on the 24th of July.

Appeal came to the conclusion that it was appropriate to vary the original injunctions to restrain publication in the course of business of all or part of "Spycatcher" or other statements by or attributed to Peter Wright on security matters.

The next matter in chronological order

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and

I have already referred to this is that the book was published in Canada also on the 24th of July.

Coming now closer to home, on the 26th of July, that is, about a month ago, the "South China Sunday Morning Post,

" which had also, apparently purchased relevant serialisation

The extracts were rights, published extracts from "Spycatcher". substantially the same as those published by "The Sunday Times". The "Sunday Post, "if I may thus abbreviate it, stated that further extracts would be published on the following Sunday,

On Monday, the 27th of July, the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords began to hear an appeal from the On Thursday, the 30th of July, decision of the Court of Appeal.

the House of Lords announced by by a majority of 3 to 2 it would make an order restraining publication in England and Wales of the relevant material. Finally, on the 1st of August, Mr Justice Bewley granted an ex parte application in favour of the plaintiffs in the

That injunction, present case for an interlocutory injunction. which is still in existence, is in the following terms: [Reads]

"It is hereby ordered that:-

1.

The Defendants and each of them be restrained until trial or further Order from doing whether by himself or itself or by his or its servants or agents or any of them or otherwise howsoever the following acts or any of them that is to say:-

(a)

disclosing or publishing or causing or permitting to be discloshed or published to any person any information obtained

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