Former spy Mr David Shayler today lost the last round of a legal battle in the British courts in which he claimed attempts to prosecute him for giving away government secrets breached his human rights.
The High Court and Appeal Court have already rejected his claims that he was acting out of patriotism and today the House of Lords, Britain's highest court, backed the view of the lower courts.
Dismissing the appeal, senior Law Lord Lord Bingham said: "The special position of those employed in the security and intelligence services, and the special nature of the work they carry out, impose duties and responsibilities on them. This meant that sensitive information obtained by members of the intelligence services should not be disclosed".
Mr Shayler, who worked for Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence service, may try to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.
He had claimed that any disclosures he made were in the public interest and he could rely on freedom of expression rights contained in the Human Rights Act as a defence.
He has accused British intelligence agencies of botching investigations into IRA attacks in London in the 1990s and failing to prevent a 1994 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in London.
He also accuses the government of ignoring an alleged 1996 plot by British agents to kill Libyan leader Mr Muammar Gaddafi - an allegation the aauthorities deny.
Lord Bingham said a security service must be secure saying: "The commodity in which such a service deals is secret and confidential information. If the service is not secure those working against the interests of the state, whether terrorists, other criminals or foreign agents, will be alerted, and able to take evasive action".
AFP