THE CORNER HOUSE and CAMPAIGN AGAINST ARMS TRADE (CAAT)

MEDIA ADVISORY NOTE (11 June 2008)
Contact Symon Hill (CAAT) - +44 20 7281 0297 or +44 7990 673 232
or Nicholas Hildyard (The Corner House) - +44 1258 473 795 or +44 7773 750 534

Appeal over BAE-Saudi case

House of Lords, London
Monday 7th - Tuesday 8th July 2008

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has appealed against the High Court's judgment that it acted unlawfully in terminating a corruption investigation into arms deals between BAE Systems and Saudi Arabia. The appeal will take place at the House of Lords on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th July. Precise timings and other details will be announced nearer the time. Notes 1. This hearing follows the judicial review brought by The Corner House and the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), which resulted in the High Court judgment of Lord Justice Moses and Mr Justice Sullivan on 10th April 2008. In their ruling, the judges outlined how BAE had lobbied the government to drop the corruption investigation and how the Saudi regime had threatened to cancel a further arms deal and withdraw diplomatic co-operation. They pointed out that the government had made no attempt to resist the threat, which they described as a "successful attempt by a foreign government to pervert the course of justice in the United Kingdom". More detail can be found at http://www.controlbae.org/press/release2008-04-10.php.

2. The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) works for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade. The Corner House is an environmental and social justice NGO. For more information, visit www.controlbae.org, www.caat.org.uk or www.thecornerhouse.org.uk.

3. Spokespeople for The Corner House and CAAT are available for interview.