Political allies of Attorney General Lord Goldsmith have defended his role in obtaining an injunction blocking the broadcast of a story on the cash-for-honours investigation.
The BBC was prevented from running the story, which relates to an internal email between two members of Tony Blair's inner circle, after Lord Goldsmith went to the High Court.
The decision to obtain the injunction, which was requested by the Metropolitan Police, has heightened speculation that the investigation may lead to charges.
Europe minister Geoff Hoon told ITV1's The Sunday Edition: "It is necessary to have someone who safeguards the public interest - and let's make it clear it is the public interest that is being protected - in ensuring that legal proceedings can continue without the kind of commentary that is a regular feature today of the modern media."
The Metropolitan Police has conducted a 12-month investigation into claims that peerages were offered in return for financial support for political parties.
A spokesman for the Attorney General said that police were concerned that the disclosure of information contained in the story could have harmed their inquiry. Lord Goldsmith - a member of the Cabinet - was acting independently of the Government in seeking the injunction, said the spokesman.
Critics have said the Attorney General's dual role as the Government's senior legal adviser and a Cabinet member could lead to a conflict of interests in politically-sensitive cases.
But Commons Leader Jack Straw told BBC1's Sunday AM: "The position of the Attorney General is very well established. He is independent of Ministers; every system in the world has a figure like the Attorney General, usually called an Attorney General."
Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton told Sunday AM: "The Attorney General hasn't acted against the BBC. The Attorney General went to court and the judge decided that there should be an injunction. This has been a proper due process. The judge has made the decision, not the Attorney General. The Attorney General doesn't make decisions in these cases, he represents arguments in the court."
In a statement on Friday, the BBC said that its report on cash-for-honours was a "legitimate matter of public interest".
