Government told to publish Iraq minutes

The government has been ordered to publish minutes of cabinet discussions about the war in Iraq.

The ruling by information commissioner Richard Thomas follows a freedom of information requests for the minutes of two meetings in March 2003, when ministers discussed then attorney general Lord Goldsmith's advice on the legality of war.

The Cabinet Office refused, arguing the papers should not be disclosed because they related to the formulation of government policy and ministerial communications - discussions usually exempt from FOI laws.

But Thomas ruled that in this case the public interest in disclosure outweighed these considerations, saying the "gravity and controversial nature" of the discussions meant the minutes should be released.

"He believes that disclosure of this information would allow the public to more fully understand this particular decision of the cabinet," the commissioner's office said in a statement.

But Thomas said he did not believe the disclosure would "necessarily" set a precedent in respect of other cabinet meetings.