Arms campaign in High Court win

Campaign group CAAT has been looking at BAE's role in Saudi Arabia

The Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) group says it has won a High Court order against defence firm BAE Systems.

CAAT said BAE had been told to give a sworn statement within two weeks over how it accessed a confidential e-mail from the pressure group.

The e-mail focused on a legal challenge by the group to the Serious Fraud Office's decision to drop an inquiry into a BAE arms deal in Saudi Arabia.

BAE said it was "happy to comply with the Court's order".

But it added that CAAT's attempts to "garner publicity have wasted a great deal of time and money which we believe is regrettable for all concerned".

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) controversially dropped its investigation into the Saudi Arabia deal in December last year.

BAE faces scrutiny over corruption allegations in six nations.

'Wrong'

CAAT hopes the court order, telling BAE Systems to give a "sworn affidavit", will help reveal who leaked the information.

The leaked CAAT information contained specifics regarding tactics and costs for the anti-arms group, including legal advice from CAAT's lawyers over its case regarding the Serious Fraud Office.

Following Monday's ruling, BAE said that once presented with the e-mail, the firm "immediately brought it to the attention of CAAT".

The judge said that even though BAE returned the e-mail, allowing the leaker to remain anonymous had "facilitated the continuation of the wrong" done to CAAT.

The move also opened the chance that the person could leak the same information to another party opposed to CAAT, said the judge.

The court order was needed as BAE and its legal representatives, Allen & Overy, had refused to provide information to reveal who had sent the e-mail, said Dinah Rose, QC, who has been acting for CAAT.