The Sunday Times, which is being sued for libel by Mr Gerard Conlon, one of the Guildford Four, has been given permission in the Supreme Court to seek information concerning the original forced statements by Mr Conlon to Surrey police in 1974.
Times Newspapers Ltd appealed a decision of the High Court in July last year when the judge said he could not see how the original statements were relevant to the defence pleadings in the libel case.
The newspaper sought access to copies of the original forced statements Mr Conlon made in 1974 which led to his wrongful imprisonment for 15 years for the Guildford pub bombings.
Times Newspapers sought the information in relation to its defence.
The article in which the alleged defamation occurred was in the Sunday Times on February 13th, 1994, written by the then film critic who was reviewing the film, In the Name of the Father.
Mr Conlon is taking the libel action over two statements in the review concerning his father, Mr Guiseppe Conlon. The newspaper sought answers from Mr Conlon.
The first question was: was not Mr Conlon while in custody in Godalming police station, Surrey, England, between November 30th and December 4th, 1994, forced to make and sign two written statements to the Surrey Constabulary concerning the Guildford pub bombings on October 5th, 1974.
A second question was: was not Mr Conlon in the course of making the statements caused to implicate the following persons in the Guildford pub bombings and/or in other serious subversive criminal activity; Mr Paul Hill, Mr Patrick Armstrong; Ms Carole Richardson and Ms Anne Maguire.
The Supreme Court allowed the newspaper to deliver the two questions so that they can be examined by Mr Conlon.
Mr Justice Lynch, giving judgment, said that it seemed the two questions were relevant to the defence.
The evidence established that it would be virtually if not absolutely impossible to secure the attendance in this jurisdiction of the UK police officers who took statements from Mr Conlon.
Even if they could, very substantial costs would be incurred in endeavouring to obtain their attendance in this jurisdiction.
He would not allow a third question that the newspaper sought concerning the May report, which was a result of an inquiry into the convictions.