D Notices: the British press and self-censorship

Posted on Thursday 14 December, 2006
Filed Under Civil Liberties

 


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One of the many restrictions on press freedom in this country – which include the Official Secrets Act, Prevention of Terrorism Act, Police and Criminal Evidence Act, Contempt of Court Act, and laws relating to obscenity, libel, race relations, sedition, incitement to disaffection and treason, that is – is the ‘D Notice’ system.

Basically, this is institutionalised self-censorship. All entirely voluntary, old chap. Little notes like this one are part of the reason readers often do not get the full story:

ADVISORY – NOT FOR PUBLICATION:

We have been asked to circulate the following advisory by the secretary of the Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee.

To All Editors

Lord Stevens’ Report on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed is expected to be made public later this morning; it is likely to include the names of at least two individuals alleged to be serving officers in the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6). A number of other alleged SIS staff are also expected to be referred to obliquely in the Report, in the form of initials or abbreviations.

Editors will be aware that Defence Advisory Notice Number 5(b) requests editors and journalists to seek advice from the DA Notice Secretary before disclosing information concerning the identities, whereabouts and tasks of people who are or have been employed by the Security Services.

This includes – inter alia – details of their families and home addresses, or any other information including photographs, which could assist terrorists or other hostile agencies to identify a target. Full details can be found on http://www.dnotice.org.uk.

The names of alleged SIS officers published in Lord Stevens’ Report must, of course, be considered to be widely available in the public domain. However, the publication or broadcast of further details about these individuals (eg their home addresses, photographs, schools attended by their children) would increase significantly the risks faced by them and their families.

Similarly heightened risks would be faced by the alleged SIS employees identified in the Report by initials or abbreviations if their identities or family details were disclosed.

Given the range of risks which alleged SIS staff mentioned or alluded to in Lord Stevens’ Report might face, I should be most grateful if you would seek my advice before elaborating details of their identities or disclosing any aspects of their personal lives.

Yours Sincerely,

Andrew Vallance

Air Vice-Marshal

Secretary, Defence Press and Broadcasting Advisory Committee

Astonishing, isn’t it? Assuming that any terrorists or foreign intelligence agencies are for any reason interested in the identities of the two spooks, all they have to do is walk into the Stationery Office and buy a copy of the Stevens report. It will probably even be available for download.

But information that Vallance himself admits is ‘widely available in the public domain’ won’t be featuring in the British press.


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Comments

2 Responses to “D Notices: the British press and self-censorship”

  2. seren
    on December 15th, 2006 at 16:14

    Has there been a concerted campaign against D Notices? There was, I think, the famous ABC trial that involved defying D Notices (this is all very vague due to old age and raging hangover) in the early 70s.

    Shouldn’t we be pushing the NUJ to do something on this – or using the internet makes such censorship redundant? What would happen if all leftie bloggers named the people in the Stevens report?