| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act to prevent the Disclosure of Official Documents and Information. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 52 & 53 Vict. c. 52 |
| Territorial extent | United Kingdom [b] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 26 August 1889 |
| Commencement | 26 August 1889 [c] |
| Repealed | 22 August 1911 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Official Secrets Act 1911 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Official Secrets Act 1889 [a] (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).
Contents
The whole act was replaced in the UK and repealed by section 13(2) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.
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.
