Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 20 August 1984-11 October 1989 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
2 files
Context area
Archival history
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Documents relating to the dispute between the Al Fayed brothers and The Observer over the paper's calls for a Department of Trade and Industry inquiry into the purchase of Harrods.
File 1 includes press cuttings from various newspapers reporting the dispute, including those published by the Observer; notes by Derek Mitchell on the case; correspondence between the Independent Directors; copies of legal documents from the High Court of Justice for the case between the Al Fayeds and The Observer; publications; booklet entitled 'A fool and his money..' accounting the life of Mohamed Fayed; booklet regarding the case between Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and The Observer Limited & Lonrho PLC in the High Court of Justice; booklet entitled 'Sinking in corruption', and copies of letters sent by Francesca Pollard to Tiny Rowland.
Also includes list of names, addresses and telephone numbers of employees, Independent Directors and representative lawyers.
File 2 includes an account of Derek Mitchell on his experience of the publication of the special mid-week edition of The Observer (Thursday 30th March 1989); press cuttings from various newspapers covering the publication of the special issue and political fall-out afterwards; copy of the Special Edition and copies of Donald Trelford's affidavits to the Court of Appeal regarding the injunction against The Observer.
Creator: The Observer Limited; Sir Derek Mitchell
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Any correspondence or document s containing privileged legal advice or details of living individuals' personal data may be closed.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Access Status
Open(part)
Closed until
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Mitchell; Sir; Derek Jack (1922-2009); Independent Director of The Observer Ltd (Subject)
- Trelford; Donald Gilchrist (1937-2023); journalist, broadcaster, and editor of The Observer (Subject)
- Rowland; Roland Walter (1917-1998); businessman (Subject)
- Fayed; Mohamed Abdel Moneim (1929-2023); businessman (Subject)
- Pollard; Francesca; Campaigned against Tiny Rowland of Lonrho during the 1980s (Subject)