ABSTRACT
At the centre of the topic of ‘intelligence ethics’ is the tension between the belief that there are aspects of the intelligence business that seem ‘notably disreputable’ 1 and the argument that without secret intelligence states cannot ‘understand sufficiently the nature of some important threats’. 2 Indeed, during the last century intelligence has become one of the most vital tools a state has, especially given the diverse range of threats it can face. However, it can also be argued that the damage that intelligence can cause means that there should be limits on its use. Indeed, Michael Quinlan, David Omand and Michael Herman, all of whom have highly distinguished careers in intelligence, defence and government, have noted the ‘ethical baggage’ that intelligence collection carries with it and the need, therefore, to re-evaluate its role in society. 3
