MI5 Must Now Prove Facts After Investigation Exposes Service Lies to Courts

Lord Leveson, the investigatory powers commissioner, declared that MI5 will now have to prove its facts to judges. He stated that courts will be far less likely to accept security service information without solid evidence.

The BBC investigation centered on a neo-Nazi informant known as Agent X who allegedly used his state role to abuse his partner, Beth. In a shocking breach of conduct, MI5 protected Agent X and helped him travel abroad during a police investigation, even removing his personal possessions from a station.

The Ipco investigation found that MI5 repeatedly lied about its core secrecy policy, known as 'neither confirm nor deny.' Officials secretly disclosed Agent X's agent status during phone calls in 2020 to try and prevent the BBC from investigating.

A senior MI5 officer, who tried to cover up the abuse by falsely claiming Agent X was not a misogynist or a real extremist, has since resigned. To mandate reform, the Ipco chief executive, Richard Thompson, now attends internal MI5 board meetings.

Leveson confirmed the abuse led to a new policy regarding covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) and domestic violence, noting that MI5 has a 'great distance to go' in its future dealings with the courts.