Kafka: alive, well and living in London

Newspapers have had the right to print anything said in Parliament since 1688. MPs have used this to circumvent libel laws and identify bad guys by naming them in speeches/questions in Parliament, which the papers then print.

Until now. How's this for a blanket ban on free speech? Essentially, the Guardian can only report that something might be said. Nothing about the subject, the speaker, the time…

Today's published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found.

The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented – for the first time in memory – from reporting parliament. Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret.

The only fact the Guardian can report is that the case involves the London solicitors Carter-Ruck, who specialise in suing the media for clients, who include individuals or global corporations.

I'd love to know what the subject is.