A recently-passed injunction by a US court against website Wikileaks, which publishes leaked Government documents, has been retracted and the website reinstated in an unusual legal climb-down.

The site has been a thorn in the side of governments, including Britain, USA and China, as it has published documents that it believes should be in the public domain.

These include the Rules of Engagement for Iraq, Guantanamo Camp Delta Standard Operating Procedures and also, briefing memos from meetings dealing with the collapse of Northern Rock.

The injunction - a restriction on the actions of the website - could be viewed as an attack on Freedom of Speech and Information, and activists in America are describing this as another example of the blatant attack to people’s liberties and the move towards a more fascist Government.

The injunction was later removed, as the judge in charge of the case felt the restriction wasn’t “constitutionally appropriate”. Wikileaks is now back online.