Bloggers have killed UK Official Secrets Act, claims Murray

[dutchdemocrat]

Not exactly. But they're not exactly in prison, either...

Background on the Murray case here from Empire Burlesque



Last week Murray, a former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan*, responded to Foreign Office attempts to suppress two confidential documents by publishing them on his web site and encouraging blogs the world over to republish them. Murray now claims these appeared in over 4,000 blogs within 72 hours. We've no idea whether or not the total hit 4,000, but whatever, it's loads and loads, far beyond any number that the UK Government could ever manage to deal with.
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Despite this, Murray hasn't even been questioned. "We have published," he say, "what were, undoubtedly, classified British government documents. Under the notorious Official Secrets Act that is an offence, and everyone connected with it is plainly guilty. There is no public interest defence."

Actually, it's not the numbers as such that have kept the security forces off Murray's back. Not directly, anyway. Having the documents reproduced throughout the world certainly ensures they can never be suppressed, but has no obvious effect on any desire the Government might have to wreak awful vengeance on Murray. The reverse, if anything. Murray himself acknowledges this to an extent, observing: " British criminal trials still involve juries, and they are reluctant to convict in OSA trials, where they often sympathise with the motives of the defendant. Clive Ponting was acquitted after leaking that the Belgrano was heading home when we sank it. The jury acquitted him, against the clear direction of the judge. And that was in the context of the Falklands War, which the British public supported. What chance of a conviction in the context of the Iraq war, which the British public oppose?"

SNIP

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/05/murray_claims_official_secrets_kill/