Former MI5 agent David Shayler today lost the first round of his pre-trial legal battle.
Middlesbrough-born Shayler, 35, wanted to defend his revelation of state secrets by arguing that he acted in the public interest.
He had claimed his human rights would be breached if the defence was disallowed.
But trial judge Mr Justice Moses ruled it was not open to him to assert that disclosure of documents or information without lawful authority was in the public interest.
Shayler, who is accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act by passing sensitive information to a Sunday newspaper, now faces an Old Bailey hearing in November.
Updated: 15.40 Wednesday, May 16
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