Official Secrets Act 1889

The Official Secrets Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. 52) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created offences of disclosure of information (section 1) and breach of official trust (section 2). It was replaced in the UK by the Official Secrets Act 1911.

Official Secrets Act 1889[1]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to prevent the Disclosure of Official Documents and Information.
Citation52 & 53 Vict. c. 52
Dates
Royal assent26 August 1889
Commencement26 August 1889[2]
Repealed22 August 1911[3]
Other legislation
Repealed byThe Official Secrets Act 1911, section 13(2)
Status: Repealed

The Official Secrets Bill began its parliamentary procedures on 10 May 1888, achieving its royal assent on 26 August 1889. It was initiated by Lord George Hamilton PC First Lord of the Admiralty and Edward Stanhope (PC) Secretary of State for War. The bill was enacted by the Attorney General Richard Webster to give increased powers against offences of disclosing confidential matters by officials, and to prevent the disclosure of such documents and information by spies, and/or to prevent breaches of official trust, in order to punish such offences of obtaining information and communicating it, against the interests of the British state.

See also

References
  1. This short title is given by section 10 of the Act.
  2. This Act came into force on receiving royal assent because no other date was specified: Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793
  3. This Act was repealed on the date that the Official Secrets Act 1911 received royal assent because no other date was specified by that Act for its commencement: Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793
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