ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the Official Secrets Act. A key to understanding the history and present state of this criminal law is to consider the meaning of espionage and the severity with which the offence is regarded. Since olden times treason and espionage have been serious plots against one's country. The earliest statute in Britain dealing with the former is the Treason Act 1351 which, with amendments, remains in force and applies to crimes of high treason. Espionage concerns spies and others who intend to help an enemy and deliberately harm the security of the nation. Both treason and espionage may involve the communication of information to an enemy and, indeed, it has been suggested that the law relating to treason could be applied successfully in peacetime to certain acts of espionage.
