| The supreme court went into secret session for the first time ever on Thursday to hear sensitive intelligence about a Tehran bank accused of participating in Iran's nuclear weapons programme.
Before a live television broadcast shut down, Lord Neuberger, president of the court, declared the ruling had been taken "with great reluctance" by a majority of the nine justices hearing the appeal by Bank Mellat.
The decision to hold what is known as a "closed material procedure" (CMP) – in which claimants are prevented from discovering the security evidence against them – was made after lawyers for the Treasury urged the justices to read a secret judgment from a lower court.
Neither the House of Lords not the supreme court has ever held a CMP before to read a secret judgment or hear secret evidence since such procedures began in specialist immigration and security tribunals more than 10 years ago.
The supreme court, Neuberger has said, occupies a particular place in the constitution "where all judgments should be open and be available to be seen". Unlike the lower courts, it deals with matters of broader principle.
for full story, click: http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2013/mar/21/uk-supreme-court-secret-session |
