(569)  NO CONFIDENCE FOR THE SCOTTISH SOCIALISTS

 

On 9 June 2006 Lady Smith ordered the disclosure to the News of the World legal team of the minute of the meeting of the executive committee of the Scottish Socialist Party held on 9 November 2004, following which the party leader Tommy Sheridan resigned.  The News of the World had sought the disclosure to help in defending the defamation action brought against it by Mr Sheridan (see Nos 562-563).  The party’s argument was that disclosure would against rights of freedom of association and political expression, but the equally rights-based argument, that the newspaper had a right to a fair trial, prevailed.  The document will however be redacted before disclosure so as not to disclose the identities of those present at the meeting.