Official Secrets Act 1939

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Official Secrets Act 1939 [a]
Act of Parliament
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, variant 1).svg
Long title An Act to amend section six of the Official Secrets Act 1920.
Citation 2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 121
Territorial extent  United Kingdom [b]
Dates
Royal assent 23 November 1939
Commencement 23 November 1939 [c]
Repealed20 December 2023
Other legislation
Amends Official Secrets Act 1920
Repealed by National Security Act 2023
Relates to Official Secrets Act 1911
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Official Secrets Act 1939 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Official Secrets Act 1939 [a] (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 121) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It substituted a new section 6 into the Official Secrets Act 1920, which limited the scope of that offence to offences under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 (it had formerly applied to all offences under the Official Secrets Act 1911 and to all offences under that act).

Contents

It was enacted in reaction to the "Sandys affair" in 1938, when Duncan Sandys MP was threatened with prosecution under section 6 in an attempt to get him to disclose who had given him information about the inadequate state of the air defences around London.

The whole act was repealed by and replaced with the National Security Act 2023. [1] [2] [3]

See also

Notes

References

  1. "National Security Act Factsheet - Home Office in the media". homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  2. "National Security Act 2023: Schedule 18", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 11 July 2023, 2023 c. 32 (sch.18), retrieved 20 December 2023
  3. "The National Security Act 2023 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2023", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 27 November 2023, SI 2023/1272, retrieved 20 December 2023