Mr. Ron Brown(Leith) asked the Attorney-General if he will take action, under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, against those newspapers that have abused the sub judice principle in connection with the Nilsen case, namely, the Scottish Daily Express, the Daily Record and the Sunday Mail.
§ The Attorney-GeneralI am sure that those responsible for publications and broadcasts concerning the circumstances surrounding the arrest and charging of Mr. Nilsen will be mindful of the contempt of court laws, of the provisions of section 8 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 and of the general principles that every man is innocent unless and until proved guilty in a court of law and is entitled to a fair trial. For my part I am continuing to monitor such reports with all those considerations in mind. As far as the particular publications to which the hon. Member refers are concerned, I do not propose to take any action.