Refusal for judicial review application
by Mr Justice Collins
first published 29 May 2007
On 29 May 2007, a High Court judge, Mr Justice Collins, considered the papers filed by lawyers acting for CAAT and The Corner House requesting a judicial review of the December 2006 decision by the Director of the Serious Fraud Office to stop an investigation into alleged bribery and corruption in BAE's recent arms contracts with Saudi Arabia. The judge also considered the Government's response to these papers.
Mr Justice Collins made a preliminary decision refusing to grant permission for a full judicial review hearing, saying the application was "wholly unarguable". Despite acknowledging the "importance of the issues raised", the judge said in this written statement:
"It is clear that national security must always prevail and no state could be expected to take action which jeopardizes the security of the state or the lives of its citizens."
As a result of the judge's decision, The Corner House and CAAT requested a formal oral hearing before a judge to argue why the case should proceed, which was granted for 9 November 2007.