ABC trial
Encyclopedia
The ABC Trial was a trial of charges under sections 1 and 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911
trial in United Kingdom
. It took place in 1978 and is named after the three defendants: Crispin Aubrey, John Berry and Duncan Campbell
. Aubrey was a journalist for Time Out, John Berry was a former corporal in signals intelligence (SIGINT), and Duncan Campbell was an investigative journalist.
The trial before Mr Justice Thesiger
, which was already controversial, achieved greater notoriety when the Government attempted to introduce testimony from three anonymous SIGINT officers, who were successively referred to as Colonel A, Colonel B
, and Mr. C.
Official Secrets Act 1911
The Official Secrets Act 1911 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaces the Official Secrets Act 1889....
trial in United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It took place in 1978 and is named after the three defendants: Crispin Aubrey, John Berry and Duncan Campbell
Duncan Campbell (investigative journalist)
Duncan Campbell is a British freelance investigative journalist, author and television producer who, since 1975, has specialised in the subjects of intelligence and security services, defence, policing, civil liberties and, latterly, computer forensics. He was a staff writer at the New Statesman...
. Aubrey was a journalist for Time Out, John Berry was a former corporal in signals intelligence (SIGINT), and Duncan Campbell was an investigative journalist.
The trial before Mr Justice Thesiger
Gerald Thesiger
The Hon. Sir Gerald Alfred Thesiger MBE QC was a British High Court Judge of the Queen's Bench Division between 1958 and 1978.-Background and education:...
, which was already controversial, achieved greater notoriety when the Government attempted to introduce testimony from three anonymous SIGINT officers, who were successively referred to as Colonel A, Colonel B
Hugh Johnstone
Colonel Hugh Anthony Johnstone OBE was administrative head of SIGINT in the British Army during the 1970s.He became known when he was identified as the much-publicised anonymous witness Colonel B in the ABC Trial in 1978.Johnstone was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals from Sandhurst in...
, and Mr. C.
Timeline
- 18 February 1977: Aubrey and Campbell (the two journalists) interviewed Berry
- 20 February 1977: All three men were arrested and charged under section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911 (Berry was charged with "communicating classified information to unauthorised persons", and Campbell and Aubrey with "unauthorised receipt of classified information")
- 24 May 1977: Further charges were added under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act
- 9 August 1977: Additional charge under section 1 against Duncan Campbell, for collecting information
- 5 September 1978: Trial opens at the Old BaileyOld BaileyThe Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
- 18 September 1978: Trial stopped after jury member exposed as a former SASSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
officer - 3 October 1978: Second trial opens
- 24 October 1978: All section 1 charges dropped
- 17 November 1978: Aubrey, Berry and Campbell receive non-custodial sentences
External links
- The ABC Trial via archive.org
- Ferrets or Skunks - Chapter Five from Robertson (1999)