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UK: Repeal the Official Secret Act (ROSA)

01 March 2001

A campaign has been launched to repeal the UK's Official Secrets Act following a series of trials and court actions against individuals, journalists, publishers. ROSA's aims are:
A review of the law with broad public consultation and with the aim of replacing the Official Secrets Act with a law which has a clear public interest defence. This should include:
A CLEAR definition of national security that requires proof of a threat to the country's existence or democratic structures or the existence of a serious threat to human life. A TEST of substantial damage to be satisfied for all prosecutions, taking into account whether or not the information is already in the public domain.
THE BURDEN of proof of damage to rest with the government.
PROTECTION of journalists' confidential sources and information.
EXTENSION of statutory protection for whistleblowers to the security and intelligence services.
Reform of the Official Secrets Act needs to be combined with:
AN END to the use of ex parte injunctions preventing publication on grounds of national security; SUBJECTING the Security and Intelligence Services to full democratic accountability; REFORM of government classification procedures; A THOROUGH REVIEW of all current prosecutions.”
ROSA is supported by Liberty, the Campaign for Freedom of Information, the National Union of Journalists, the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, Statewatch and Index on Censorship.

Contact: Nigel Wylde: nigel.wylde@btinternet.com;
Martin Bright: martin.bright@btinternet.com;
Tim Gopsill TimG@nuj.org.uk;
John Wadham: JohnW@liberty-human-rights.org.uk