Official Secrets Act 1889

{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox UK legislation

|short_title=Official Secrets Act 1889{{efn|name=st|reference=Section 10.}}

|type=Act

|parliament=Parliament of the United Kingdom

|long_title=An Act to prevent the Disclosure of Official Documents and Information.

|citation=52 & 53 Vict. c. 52

|introduced_by=

|territorial_extent=United Kingdom{{efn|Section 6.}}

|royal_assent=26 August 1889

|commencement=26 August 1889{{efn|Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793}}

|repeal_date=22 August 1911

|amendments=

|related_legislation=

|repealing_legislation=Official Secrets Act 1911

|status=Repealed

|original_text=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/52-53/52/enacted

|}}

The Official Secrets Act 1889{{efn|name=st}} (52 & 53 Vict. c. 52) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It created offences of disclosure of information (section 1) and breach of official trust (section 2).

The whole act was replaced in the UK and repealed by section 13(2) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

The Official Secrets Bill began its parliamentary procedures on 10 May 1888, achieving its royal assent on 26 August 1889. It was initiated by Lord George Hamilton PC First Lord of the Admiralty and Edward Stanhope (PC) Secretary of State for War. The bill was enacted by the Attorney General Richard Webster to give increased powers against offences of disclosing confidential matters by officials, and to prevent the disclosure of such documents and information by spies, and/or to prevent breaches of official trust, in order to punish such offences of obtaining information and communicating it, against the interests of the British state.