Odger's English Common Law

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BETRAYAL OF OFFICIAL SECRETS. 153
on behalf of His Majesty, or as a person who is or has been
employed under a person who holds or has held such an office
or contract "
(a) to communicate the sketch, &c, or information to any
person other than a person to whom he is authorised to com-
municate it, or a person to whom it is in the interest of the
State his duty to communicate it, or
(b) to retain the sketch, &c, in his possession or control
when he has ho right to retain it or when it is contrary to his
duty to retain it.
If any person raceives any sketch, &c, or information,
knowing, or having reasonable ground to believe, at the time
when he receives it, that it is communicated to him in con-
travention of this Act, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour,
unless he proves that the communication to him was contrary
to his desire.
Any person, who attempts to commit any offence under
this Act, or incites, counsels or attempts to procure another
person to commit any such offence, will be guilty of felony or
of a misdemeanour according as the full offence is felony or
misdemeanour, and on conviction will be liable to the same
punishment as if he had committed the full offence. More-
over any one, who knowingly harbours any person whom he
knows, or has reasonable grounds for supposing, to be about
to commit or to have committed an offence under this Act,
and any one, who knowingly permits any such persons to
assemble in any premises in his occupation or under his
control, is guilty of a misdemeanour and liable to imprison-
ment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding
one year, or to a fine, or to both.
~No one can be committed for trial, indicted or tried for
any offence under this Act (though he can be arrested and
remanded) without the consent of the Attorney-General or
Solicitor-General. No offence under this Act can be tried at
Quarter Sessions. Any one indicted for a felony under this.
Act may, if the circumstances warrant such a finding, be found
guilty of a- misdemeanour under the Act.
1 S. 2.