Difference between revisions of "ABC Trial"

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==Timeline==
 
==Timeline==
 
*18 February 1977: Aubrey and Campbell (the two journalists) interviewed Berry
 
*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")
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*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
 
*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
 
*9 August 1977: Additional charge under section 1 against Duncan Campbell, for collecting information

Revision as of 11:38, 4 August 2015

Event.png ABC Trial Rdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
Date5 September 1978 - 17 November 1978
Type trial

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,[1] John Berry and Duncan Campbell. Aubrey was a journalist for Time Out magazine, John Berry was a former corporal in signals intelligence (SIGINT), and Duncan Campbell was an investigative journalist.

One of the prosecution witnesses, an anonymous SIGINT officer referred to as Colonel B was in fact Hugh Johnstone.

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
  • November 1977: Committal hearing at Tottenham Magistrates Court. First appearance of Colonel B as a prosecution witness.
  • 5 September 1978: Trial opens at the Old Bailey in front of Mr Justice Willis
  • 18 September 1978: Trial stopped after jury foreman exposed as a former SAS officer
  • 3 October 1978: Second trial opens in front of Mr Justice Mars-Jones
  • 24 October 1978: All section 1 charges dropped
  • 17 November 1978: Aubrey, Berry and Campbell receive non-custodial sentences

References

  1. {{URL|example.com|optional display text}}
  • Campbell, Duncan (1979). Official Secrecy and British Libertarianism
  • Aubrey, Crispin (1981). Who's Watching You? Britain's Security Services & the Official Secrets Act (1st ed.). Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-022283-9.
  • Robertson, Geoffrey (1999). The Justice Game, Vintage Books. ISBN 0-09-958191-4

External links

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