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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Official_Secrets_Act
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1992-09-01
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UK act of Parliament 1989, making disclosure
of confidential material from government
sources by employees subject to disciplinary
procedures; it remains an absolute offence
for a member or former member of the security
and intelligence services (or those working
closely with them) to disclose information
about their work. There is no public-interest
defence, and disclosure of information
already in the public domain is still a
crime. Journalists who repeat disclosures may
also be prosecuted. The 1989 act replaced
Section 2 of an act of 1911, which had long
been accused of being too wide-ranging.
Prosecution under criminal law is now
reserved for material that the government
claims is seriously harmful to national
security. Any service member wishing to
complain of misconduct within the service is
allowed access to an independent counsellor,
in turn with access to senior ministers.
Investigations under special warrants, which
are issued by the secretary of state in such
cases as terrorist acts and organized crime,
are also to be regarded as absolutely secret,
but the act limits the circumstances of their
operation, and there is an independent
commissioner and tribunal to prevent abuse of
such powers.