Circuit Breaker

A federal appellate court has temporarily stopped the transfer of confidential archival materials from Boston College to the British government. The decision follows an appeal filed on Thursday by Ed Moloney and Anthony McIntyre, who worked on BC's Belfast Project, after the university declined to undertake such an appeal itself. (Background here and here.)

In a Dec. 30 stay order intended to "preserve the status quo and allow this court sufficient time to assess the issues," the First Circuit directed a federal prosecutor not to turn over interviews with former IRA member Dolours Price to the UK. Here's the order:

11-2511, Stay Order

The First Circuit order follows the refusal of District Court Judge William Young to grant a similar stay:

Young Denied Stay