Official Secrets Act

It should be noted that all the SOE s activities were conducted under the protective umbrella of Her Majesty s Official Secrets Act. Any British Commonwealth citizen releasing information about the SOE without the advance permission of the monarchy is liable to prosecution on charges of high treason, punishable by execution. No wonder that the reliable sources of information on the SOE are French, Italian, and West German intelligence agencies. 

During this period, Ken supervised the laboratory work at the University, thereby enabling Edmund Hirst to attend to Governmental activities. Under Ken Jones s leadership, the team, over a period of six years, made a very significant contribution to the war effort, but, because of the nature of the work, received very little publicity. Despite the personal cost to himself, Ken adhered rigidly to the terms of the Official Secrets Act. 

Rees, Dixon 2000 Pearse 2000 Comment Official Secrets Act Must Never Cover Horrific Abuse , Daily Express, 20 November 2000. 

A second and preferable course for reform of the law would be to produce a custom-built offence circumscribing the misappropriation of those classes of information which it was felt deserved the protection of the law. This has already been done by the Official Secrets Acts in relation to governmental information and the Law Commission have now proposed that there should be a new offence relating to the misuse of a trade secret is to be hoped that legislation will be forthcoming in the not too distant future. 

Interception of Commimications Act 1985 Official Secrets Act 1989 Partnertship Act 1890 Patents Act 1977... 

Another early impression was me pernicious effect of secrecy. Everyming mat happened at Dounreay was covered by me Official Secrets Act, and aU documents were marked Confidential . This seemed very strange since mis was a civilian project wim no military significance. The only information mat could possibly be of interest to the Russians might conceivably be me size of me plutonium stocks. 

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