The financial pages seem full of good news for Brexit Britain, City AM splashes with “Bounceback“, the Wall Street Journal contemplates a Brexit boom for manufacturers and the pound recovering. Over at the FT they have managed to acknowledge the possibilty that things might not be quite as terrible as they predicted with a sceptical bottom of the front page headline “busy factories fuel pro-Brexit MPs claims of Treasury scaremongering”. This is countered by a claim, based on a self-selecting voodoo poll, that “graduate recruitment has slumped”. Lionel’s Légion d’Honneur for services to European unity remains untarnished…

From the Attorney General’s Office:

Media Advisory Note: strictly not for publication
17 October 2013

Current LIBOR trials

Former Citigroup and UBS Trader Tom Hayes has been charged with eight counts of conspiracy to defraud. These charges arise from the on-going LIBOR investigation. A Plea and Case Management Hearing is listed for the 21st October at Southwark Crown Court. Two other defendants charged with LIBOR related offences, Terry Farr and James Gilmour, will also be appearing on that date.

Editors and publishers are reminded of their responsibilities under the Contempt of Court Act 1981.The Attorney General is conscious that this case will be of particular interest to City and financial journalists who may be less familiar with the law of contempt then colleagues who more regularly report on the criminal courts. The Attorney General asks that editors and publishers take steps to ensure all online and hard copy editions of their publications avoid any commentary or reporting which may pose a risk of breaching the Contempt of Court Act.

In particular, the Attorney General draws attention to the risks in publishing material that asserts or assumes, expressly or implicitly, the guilt of an accused person or that otherwise interferes with the administration of justice in this case – such as by pre-empting the decision of the trial Judge or Judges as to the evidence to be called before the jury.

Editors and publishers should take legal advice to ensure they are in a position to fully comply with the obligations they are subject to under the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

Ironically you can read the names that the Wall Street Journal were forced to pull from their website by a Court Order in the bastion of freedom that is China. They are in the print edition of the WSJ Asia Edition..

You can read the judge’s order here. Extraordinary that we can’t report the names of alleged LIBOR fraudsters, this is against the principles of open justice and freedom of the press. Even more extraordinary is that it was the Serious Farce Office that invited the defendants to apply for reporting restrictions. The prosecuting authority encouraged the defendants to seek anonymity. Bonkers…