Although The Guardian successfully argued that it was protected by section 10 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 from providing the information, the decision by Mr Justice Scott was almost immediately overturned.
The editor of the Guardian, Peter Preston, was prepared to defy the court order and go to prison, but was advised that it was more likely that a fine would be imposed on the newspaper, increasing as long as refusal persisted.
A meeting of Guardian journalists was held, in a mood that was, according to David McKie, deputy editor at the time, troubled but sympathetic rather than outraged.
[4] After the meeting Preston complied with the court order to hand over the documents—which he described as the worst day of his 20-year editorship—and immediately submitted his resignation, which was not accepted.
As of 2005, Tisdall worked for an ethical property company developing accommodation for charitable organisations and community groups.