O'Connor - Keogh official secrets trial
Encyclopedia
In November 2005, Civil servant David Keogh was charged with offences under section 3, and parliamentary researcher Leo O'Connor under section 5, of the Official Secrets Act 1989
in the United Kingdom
. Both men were of Northampton
, England
.
They appeared on November 29, 2005 in the Bow Street Magistrates' Court
in London
. They were remanded on bail
, to return to the court on January 10 for a committal hearing.
The charges against the pair relate to the alleged leak of a document
containing what purports to be a discussion between Tony Blair
and George W. Bush
at one point. It is alleged this document shows that Blair had to dissuade Bush from bombing Al Jazeera
in Qatar
.
On January 10, 2006, their defence lawyer was shown the secret Al Jazeera bombing memo
and declared it posed no threat to national security
. He vowed to have it made public by the court. The case would return to court on January 24.
The trial was due to begin on October 9, 2006. However, on that date the judge ruled the hearing should be in secret. It was then reported that the trial itself would begin on April 18, 2007.
In arguing for the trial to remain secret, the government claimed the memo "could have a serious impact upon the international relations" of the UK. and that the "risk is of such magnitude to outweigh the interest of open public justice."
The trial began on April 18, 2007 in the Old Bailey
court. Elaborate procedures were imposed to ensure secrecy, including asking barristers to remove their wigs when restricted information was being discussed. Few details have been published in the press.
On May 10, 2007, Keogh was found guilty on two counts of making a "damaging disclosure" by revealing the memo and was sentenced to 6 months in jail. He was also ordered to pay £5000 in costs to the prosecution. O'Connor was sentenced to 3 months in jail.
"BlairWatch" has suggested that this is the case and that the Al Jazeera bombing memo
is actually unconnected with the case. This theory has not been corroborated by any main stream media source, and in fact, UK reporting bans limit discussion of the case in print.
Official Secrets Act 1989
The Official Secrets Act 1989 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It repeals and replaces section 2 of the Official Secrets Act 1911. It is said to have removed the public interest defence created by that section....
in the 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...
. Both men were of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
They appeared on November 29, 2005 in the Bow Street Magistrates' Court
Bow Street Magistrates' Court
Bow Street Magistrates' Court was the most famous magistrates' court in England for much of its existence, and was located in various buildings on Bow Street in central London close to Covent Garden throughout its history.-History:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. They were remanded on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
, to return to the court on January 10 for a committal hearing.
The charges against the pair relate to the alleged leak of a document
Al Jazeera bombing memo
The Al Jazeera bombing memo is an unpublished memorandum made within the British government which purports to be the minutes of a discussion between United States President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Daily Mirror published a story on its front page on 22 November 2005...
containing what purports to be a discussion between Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
at one point. It is alleged this document shows that Blair had to dissuade Bush from bombing Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
.
On January 10, 2006, their defence lawyer was shown the secret Al Jazeera bombing memo
Al Jazeera bombing memo
The Al Jazeera bombing memo is an unpublished memorandum made within the British government which purports to be the minutes of a discussion between United States President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Daily Mirror published a story on its front page on 22 November 2005...
and declared it posed no threat to national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. He vowed to have it made public by the court. The case would return to court on January 24.
The trial was due to begin on October 9, 2006. However, on that date the judge ruled the hearing should be in secret. It was then reported that the trial itself would begin on April 18, 2007.
In arguing for the trial to remain secret, the government claimed the memo "could have a serious impact upon the international relations" of the UK. and that the "risk is of such magnitude to outweigh the interest of open public justice."
The trial began on April 18, 2007 in the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The 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...
court. Elaborate procedures were imposed to ensure secrecy, including asking barristers to remove their wigs when restricted information was being discussed. Few details have been published in the press.
On May 10, 2007, Keogh was found guilty on two counts of making a "damaging disclosure" by revealing the memo and was sentenced to 6 months in jail. He was also ordered to pay £5000 in costs to the prosecution. O'Connor was sentenced to 3 months in jail.
A second memo
Early reports suggested that the pair were actually being tried for leaking a different memo, called "Iraq: The Medium Term", which was published by The Times in 2004. The popular blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
"BlairWatch" has suggested that this is the case and that the Al Jazeera bombing memo
Al Jazeera bombing memo
The Al Jazeera bombing memo is an unpublished memorandum made within the British government which purports to be the minutes of a discussion between United States President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Daily Mirror published a story on its front page on 22 November 2005...
is actually unconnected with the case. This theory has not been corroborated by any main stream media source, and in fact, UK reporting bans limit discussion of the case in print.