Declaration of Secrecy
A1
Official Secrets Act
All civil servants (and any other persons who will have access to Government information) are required to sign a declaration which contains relevant extracts from the Official Secrets Acts. The signing of this form is not optional and will be one of the conditions detailed in the offer of appointment letter.
Before signing the declaration, all persons must read the extracts from the Official Secrets Act on the form and be aware that all material published in a speech, lecture or radio or television broadcast or in the Press or in book form is covered by the Act. Any such information gained as a result of the person's appointment must not be divulged to any unauthorised person either orally or in writing without firstly obtaining official written permission from his/her Department. Any breach of this will have serious consequences and could result in prosecution.
Once signed, this declaration applies for the duration of the appointment and also continues after the appointment has ended. A copy of the Official Secrets Act Form, can be found in the Public Services Commission Civil Service Regulations Handbook 2015.