The attorney general has been given permission to launch contempt of court proceedings against The Times and the foreman of a jury who revealed ‘secrets of the jury room’.

Mike Seckerson was one of two jurors who spoke out to condemn the conviction of Keran Henderson, a childminder, for the manslaughter of 11-month-old Maeve Sheppard while in her care.

Their comments were published by The Times in an article in December 2007 headlined: “Jurors break silence to insist childminder did not kill baby”.