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Official Secrets Act 1920

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Changes over time for: Official Secrets Act 1920 (Schedules only)

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Version Superseded: 20/12/2023

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SCHEDULE 1U.K.

Enactment.Nature of Amendment.
s.1 (1) (a)After the word “approaches” there shall be the inserted the words “inspects, passes over.”
s.1 (1) (c)After the word “obtains” there shall be inserted the words “collects, records, or publishes,” and after the words “any other person” there shall be inserted the words “any secret official code word, or pass word, or.”
s.1 (2)After the words “in such a place” there shall be inserted the words “or any official code word or pass word”.
After the word “obtained”, in both places where it occurs, there shall be inserted the words “collected, recorded, published.”
. . . F1 . . . F1
s.3

For paragraph (a) the following paragraph shall be substituted—

“Any work of defence, arsenal, naval or airforce establishment or station, factory, dockyard, mine, minefield, camp, ship, or aircraft belonging to or occupied by or on behalf of His Majesty, or any telegraph, telephone, wireless or signal station, or office so belonging or occupied, and any place belonging to or occupied by or on behalf of His Majesty and used for the purpose of building, repairing, making, or storing any munitions of war, or any sketches, plans, models, or documents relating thereto, or for the purpose of getting any metals, oil, or minerals of use in time of war.”

In paragraphs (b) and (d) for the words “ship, arms, or other materials or instruments of use in time of war”, in both places where they occur, there shall be substituted the words “munitions of war”, and for the word “plans”, in both places where it occurs, there shall be substituted the words “sketches, models, plans”.
In paragraph (b) after the word “repaired” there shall be inserted the word “gotten”.
In paragraph (c) after the words “any place belonging to” there shall be inserted the words “or used for the purposes of”.
In paragraphs (c) and (d) for the words “by a Secretary of State” in both places where those words occur, there shall be substituted the words “by order of a Secretary of State”.
s.7For the words “wilfully refuses” there shall be substituted the words “wilfully omits or refuses”.
s.12After the words “like or superior rank” there shall be inserted the words “and any person upon whom the powers of superintendent of police are for the purpose of this Act conferred by a Secretary of State”.

Textual Amendments

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1The text of s. 9(2), s. 10 and Schedules 1 and 2 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Section 11.

SCHEDULE 2U.K. Provisions of Principal Act Repealed.

In subsection (1) of section one the words “any shall be liable to penal servitude for any term not less than three years and not exceeding seven years.”

Subsection (3) of section two.

Section four.

In section seven the words “and liable to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding one year, or to a fine, or to both imprisonment and a fine.”

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