London - British law should be interpreted to enable members of the security and intelligence services to claim a public interest defence when exposing unlawful practices, the High Court in London was told yesterday, Rachel Donnelly reports.
On the second day of a preliminary hearing against the former MI5 officer, Mr David Shayler, who is accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act, his counsel, Mr Edward Fitzgerald QC, said the Act should cater for circumstances in which the public interest was more important that the duty of confidentiality. The case was adjourned until next week.