The Big Breach - Index of

The Big Breach; From Top Secret to Maximum SecurityCompliments of http://www.192.comup a small law firm in north London, Bahsi and Partners, thatspecialised in employment disputes and advertised themselves with thebanner `NO WIN, NO FEE'. This pledge was attractive because my smallsavings were not sufficient to pay lawyers. Satisfyingly, the partnersall had Farsi names and I smiled at the thought of Dimmock receiving adisclosure demand from an Iranian lawyer. A quick phone call and we'darranged a meeting. Two days later they had sent MI6 a preliminarynotification letter, requesting copies of all my personnel papers.My hunch was correct. Dimmock rang me at home. `We can't possibly haveyou taking us to court, we'd have the whole of Fleet Street outside thecourt building,' he whined. `Why don't you come in to see theoutplacement officer, PD/PROSPECT? He's got you a really well-paidpossibility in the City.'`I've told you already I'm not the slightest bit interested in workingin the bloody City, so please stop imposing your own career regrets onme,' I replied angrily. `You bastards sacked me illegally and it is myright to take you to an employment tribunal.' Dimmock rang offimpatiently.Dimmock wrote to me a few days later, now addressing me as `MrTomlinson' instead of `Richard'. They'd probably already startedtapping my phone too, I thought to myself. Dimmock wanted me to changemy law firm to something `more established' and offered to pay my legalfees. On the face of it, it was quite a generous offer but inevitablythere was a hidden agenda behind personnel department'suncharacteristic platitude. Another search of the phone book, this timelooking for expensive-looking companies with big adverts, turned up theprestigious city firm of Herbert Smiths. The efficient receptionist putme in touch with John Farr, their partner specialising in employmentlaw. Over the next few weeks, we put together a detailed application toan employment tribunal and submitted it to the tribunal centre inNorwich. My last paycheque from the office, for the month of August,arrived a few days later. It would take three or four months for theapplication to come to courts, so my limited savings would have tosupport me in the interim. I was not too concerned - my case for unfairdismissal was straightforward and when I inevitably won MI6 would beforced to reinstate me with full back-pay.My optimism was na‹ve and I underestimated the deviousness ofpersonnel. Farr called me up at home and asked me to go into hisoffices near Liverpool Street station to see him.`There's been an interesting development,' he said, from the other sideof his designer desk. `They've used a Public Interest Immunitycertificate to stop your application.'`What?' I cried angrily. `How the hell can they justify that?' PIIcertificates are a legal mechanism - a sort of `get out of jail free'card - that MI6 occasionally use to get them out of difficult legalsituations. They had last used one to cover up their failings in theMatrix Churchill and Astra scandals. The certificates, obtained fromthe Foreign Secretary via a submission, allow them to block the releaseto the courts of any documents that they assert could `damage nationalsecurity'. Farr explained that he had been visited the previous day bythree legal officers from SIS, who had served the PII certificate onpage- 146 - To purchase the original limited edition hardback version of this bookplease call 08000 192 192 or go to http://www.192.com