Details of the claim brought by the government to prevent a broadcast by the BBC about an alleged MI5 agent were today made public.
Following the decision by the Attorney General not to appeal last Tuesday’s ruling that next week’s hearing of the government’s application be held partly in open court the court today made public its full reasons for that decision.
The judgment explains that: “The BBC wants to broadcast a programme about an individual, “X”. The programme is to include the allegations that X is a dangerous extremist and misogynist who physically and psychologically abused two former female partners; that X is also a covert human intelligence source (variously referred to as a “CHIS” or an “agent”) for the Security Service (“MI5”); that X told one of these women that he worked for MI5 in order to terrorise and control her; and that MI5 should have known about X’s behaviour and realised that it was inappropriate to use him as a CHIS.”
The judgment is available here. A full case report will follow
5RB’s Adam Wolanski QC and Hope Williams are instructed by the BBC