The Press Council
The following statement was issued by the Press Council this week:
After the SPECTATOR published articles by a prison inmate, Dr F. Ray Bettley, 19 Harley Street, London Wl, complained to the Press Council that by printing them the journal aided a breach of prison regulations.
Mr Nigel Lawson, editor of the SPECTATOR, told Dr Bettley that the prisoner was known to him. He would not publish an article of that kind with- out satisfying himself as to its bona fides. He could not reveal other information because it might enable the prison authorities to identify the author, for which he would undoubtedly suffer since prisoners were not permitted to write to or for the press.
Dr Bettley replied that he was disturbed by Mr Lawson's anti-social action. If the prison rules were wrong or bad the situation was not improved by breaking them. It was, he thought, most un- fortunate that Mr Lawson should join with a convicted criminal to defeat prison regulations and undermine authority.
Mr Lawson answered that he would have no part in any project that involved illegal activity, but a breach of regulations which were not them- selves part of the law of the land was a very different matter and one in which his own views of the particular prison rule involved became of some relevance.
Mr Lawson informed the Press Council that, un- fortunately, the prison authorities had discovered the identity of the author of the articles.
The Press Council's adjudication was: 'The Press Council sees no objection to the publication by the SPECTATOR of articles written by a prison inmate. The complaint is rejected.'
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