What is the purpose of the Official Secrets Act?
The Indian Official Secrets Act (Act No XIX of 1923) was extended to all matters of secrecy and confidentiality in governance in the country. It broadly deals with two aspects — spying or espionage, covered under Section 3, and disclosure of other secret information of the government, under Section 5.
What is the official secrets acts now called?
In 2001, the Act was repealed and replaced by the Security of Information Act, created in the wake of September 11, 2001 attacks to replace the vaguely-worded Official Secrets Act.
What is the Official Secrets Act Singapore?
An Act to prevent the disclosure of official documents and information.
What does the Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act define?
(1) If any person having in his possession or control any secret official code or pass word or any sketch, plan, model, article, note, document or information which relates to or is used in a prohibited place or relates to anything in such a place, 14 [or which is likely to assist, directly or indirectly, an enemy or …
Is the Official Secrets Act for life?
Does it expire, is it indefinite? Answer: There is no limit on the Official Secrets act. If you want to go public with something – for example write a book – you need to get permission from the Attorney General.
Who is subject to the Official Secrets Act?
The Official Secrets Act 1989 creates an offence for the unlawful disclosure of information in six specific categories by employees and former employees of the security and intelligence services, and for current and former Crown Servants and Government contractors.
Who introduced Official Secrets Act?
About Official Secrets Act: The Indian Official Secrets Act, 1904 was enacted during the time of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905.
What happens if you break the Secrets Act?
The penalty for breaching the Official Secrets Act is a maximum jail term of 14 years if the crime relates to spying or sabotage under the 1911 or 1920 acts. For other breaches of the 1989 act the maximum jail term is two years. Prosecutions for breaches are extremely rare with fewer than one a year going to court.
When was the first Official Secrets Act?
1889
Government secrecy There has been an Official Secrets Act since 1889, aimed at spies and corrupted civil servants. Lobbied persistently by Vernon Kell of the new Secret Service Bureau (later divided into MI5 and MI6), the UK parliament passed a new, catch-all Official Secrets Act in 1911.
Does the Official Secrets Act expire?
Who does the Official Secrets Act apply to?
Can you say you have signed the Official Secrets Act?
It is not necessary for a person to have signed the Official Secrets Act in order to be bound by it. The 1989 Act states that a person can be “notified” that he or she is bound by it; and Government employees will usually be informed via their contract of employment if they must observe the Act.
What is the Official Secrets Act 1989?
The Official Secrets Act 1989 replaced the “catch-all” section 2 from the Official Secrets Act 1911, under which it was a criminal offence to disclose any official information without lawful authority. The 1989 Act creates offences connected with the unauthorised disclosure of information in six specified categories by Government employees.
How long are you bound by the Official Secrets Act?
There is no specified duration under which a person is bound by the Official Secrets Act. However, the length of time between an unauthorised disclosure and the event or situation it relates to may be a factor in the Attorney General’s decision to prosecute someone under the Official Secrets Act 1989. Official Secrets Act 1911
What is the maximum sentence under the Official Secrets Act 1911?
Prosections under the Acts are rare – fewer than one a year. The maximum term of imprisonement for offences related to espionage under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 (as amended by the Official Secrets Act 1920) is fourteen years. However, longer sentences are possible for a series of offences.
What was the immediate precursor to the Official Secrets Act 1911?
Lord Bingham said that the white paper “Reform of Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911” (Cm. 408) (June 1988) was the immediate precursor of this Act and that its recommendations bear directly on the interpretation of this Act.