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Official Secrets Act: UK government has a long history of suppressing journalism to hide its misdeeds

Official Secrets Act: UK government has a long history of suppressing journalism to hide its misdeeds

THE UK government recently put out for consultation proposals for toughening the Official Secrets Act, ostensibly to deter foreign spies. PAUL LASHMAR, Reader in Journalism, City, University of London Many lawyers, lawmakers and journalists have argued that laws concerning official data and secrets are in need of updating to fit a world where espionage and leaks are largely conducted through new technology. But a close reading of the new proposals suggests the agenda is as much to deter journalists, whistleblowers and sources from embarrassing government and intelligence agencies. The words “journalist” and “journalism” appear nowhere in the main text, and…
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Concerned about Channel crossings, UK minister vows to toughen asylum rules

Concerned about Channel crossings, UK minister vows to toughen asylum rules

ESTELLE SHIRBON  BRITAIN’S interior minister has pledged to reform what she described as a broken asylum system and to stop people arriving through illegal routes from making "endless legal claims to remain in our country". Home Secretary Priti Patel, who presents herself as tough on issues of law, order and immigration, has denounced as unacceptable a rise seen during the summer in the number of small boats carrying migrants across the Channel from France. The numbers attempting the crossing, about 5,000 so far this year, are tiny compared with migrant flows in many other parts of the world, and human…
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