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Attorney general's block on Prince Charles's letters ruled unlawful | |
(35 minutes later) | |
The attorney general's refusal to let the public see letters the Prince of Wales wrote to UK ministers has been ruled unlawful by the Court of Appeal. | |
Guardian journalist Rob Evans had challenged Dominic Grieve's decision to veto a High Court tribunal ruling in favour of allowing their publication. | Guardian journalist Rob Evans had challenged Dominic Grieve's decision to veto a High Court tribunal ruling in favour of allowing their publication. |
Mr Grieve argued that releasing the letters would undermine the principle of the heir being politically neutral. | Mr Grieve argued that releasing the letters would undermine the principle of the heir being politically neutral. |
He was granted permission to appeal the latest ruling to the Supreme Court. | |
'Important principles' | |
Mr Grieve had said the departments were legally entitled to refuse disclosure because the correspondence was part of the prince's "preparation for becoming king". | |
But Mr Evans said he had acted unlawfully in blocking publication by issuing a certificate under section 53 of the Freedom of Information Act. | |
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal ruled that the certificate should be quashed because Mr Grieve had "no good reason" for overriding the decision of the tribunal and he had acted in a way which was incompatible with European law. | |
Responding to their verdict, a spokesman for Mr Grieve said: "We are very disappointed by the decision of the court. | |
"We will be pursuing an appeal to the Supreme Court in order to protect the important principles which are at stake in this case." |