general rule is right but it s not an absolute rule he said there had been other occasions when advice had been published most recently regarding prince charles s marriage plans the government could not pick and choose when to use the convention he said mr mates added this may be one of those special occasions when it would be in the public interest to see the advice which the attorney general gave to the prime minister a book published by philippe sands qc a member of cherie blair s matrix chambers says lord goldsmith warned tony blair on 7 march 2003 that the iraq war could be illegal without a second un resolution sanctioning military action a short statement about lord goldsmith s position presented in a written parliamentary answer on 17 march 2003 just before a crucial commons vote on the military action did not suggest this