MI5 Avoids Contempt Proceedings Over False Evidence

Senior High Court judges ruled that MI5, its director general Ken McCallum and individual officers will not face contempt of court proceedings over false evidence the agency provided to three courts about an abusive informant known as Agent X. The evidence helped secure an injunction in 2022 preventing the BBC from airing a documentary identifying him, and was also used in litigation brought by a former girlfriend who said X abused her. A watchdog investigation found serious, systemic failings and concluded that one senior officer repeatedly lied, while another misled colleagues and lied about what he had been told. The judges said contempt proceedings would be too complex and resource-intensive and would add little to the watchdog’s findings; they said police have the powers and resources to investigate possible misconduct. MI5 has accepted the watchdog’s findings and apologized and paid compensation in settling related claims.