The acts of the Lord Advocate in commencing and continuing criminal proceedings against the defendants, notwithstanding that the alleged facts of the case had already received considerable pre-trial publicity, were not incompatible with the defendants' right to a fair trial. It was doubtful whether the circumstances of the instant case gave rise to a devolution issue.

PC (Sc) (Lord Slynn of Hadley, Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead, Lord Hoffmann, Lord Hope of Craighead, Lord Clyde)

19/10/2000