Memphis Publishing Company v. City of Memphis

*512OPINION

CHATTIN, Justice.

For convenience the parties will be referred to as they were in the court below: that is, the appellants as the defendants; and the appellees as the complainants.

Following the trend established by other states, the legislature enacted Chapter 442, Public Acts of 1974. The stated purpose of the Act is:

“The General Assembly hereby declares it to be the policy of this State that the formation of public policy and decisions is public business and shall not be conducted in secret.”

On April 19, 1974, complainants brought a declaratory judgment suit in the Chancery Court of…