Official Secrets Act 1920 Example

• Official Secrets Act 1920

  No person in the vicinity of any prohibited place shall obstruct, knowingly mislead or otherwise interfere with or impede, the chief officer or a superintendent or other officer of police, or any member of his Majesty's forces engaged on guard, sentry, patrol, or other similar duty in relation to the prohibited place, and, if any person acts in contravention of, or fails to comply with this provision he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour.
• APPLICATION

  The defendant had entered the an RAF station, which was a prohibited place within the act. He was prosecuted for having obstructed a member of Her Majesty's forces who was engaged in security duty in relation to the station in the vicinity of a prohibited place.
• APPLICATION

  He argued that being in a prohibited place, he couldn't be said to be in the vicinity of that place.

  Literal Rule:

  The defendant was in the prohibited space, not in the vicinity of the prohibited space so wouldve been not guilty if the literal rule was applied

  Golden Rule:

  The broad approach to the golden rule : the judge read the section as if it said in or in the vicinity of any prohibited place.