O'Connor - Keogh official secrets trial

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Civil servant David Keogh and parliamentary researcher Leo O'Connor were charged with breaking the Official Secrets Act in the United Kingdom.

They then appeared in Bow Street Magistrates' Court on November 29, 2005 in London. They were remanded on bail, to return to the court on January 10 for a committal hearing.

The charges against them relate to the alleged leak of a document containing what purports to be a discussion between Tony Blair and George W. Bush at one point. It is alleged this document shows that Blair had to dissuade Bush from bombing Al Jazeera in Qatar.

On 10 January, their defence lawyer was shown the secret Al Jazeera bombing memo and declared it posed no threat to national security. He vowed to have it made public by the court. The case would return to court on January 24. (The Guardian) (San Francisco Chronicle)

The trial was due to begin on October 9 2006, however on that date, the judge ruled the hearing should be in secret. It is now reported that the trial itself will begin on April 18 2007. (BBC) (Guardian).

In arguing for the trial to remain secret, the government claimed the memo "could have a serious impact upon the international relations" of the UK. and that the "risk is of such magnitude to outweigh the interest of open public justice."