§ Mr. Edward Gardnerasked the Attorney-General if he will bring proceedings for contempt of court in respect of newspaper, television and radio reports following the arrest of Mr. Peter Sutcliffe.
§ The Attorney-GeneralNo. I have decided that it would not he in the public interest to bring such proceedings. Proceedings are not necessary to remind editors and others of their responsibilities because the public debate which arose from the various publications following the arrest of Mr. Sutcliffe, and widespread interest in the Contempt of Court Bill have led to a better understanding of the need for restrictions on the public discussion of crimes once the strict liability rule applies, as envisaged in the Bill.