A superinjunction that prevented reporting of a data breach involving Afghan nationals has been lifted this week, more than 600 days after it took effect. The legal gagging order had barred media from disclosing the breach, which had escaped parliamentary and public scrutiny until Tuesday.
The data breach prompted the UK government to offer relocation to approximately 15,000 Afghans under a secret scheme. The potential cost of this operation exceeds £2 billion.
The superinjunction was imposed shortly after the breach was discovered, but its existence remained unknown until its recent removal. Legal experts have questioned the use of such an extreme measure in a case involving national security and public interest.
The lifting of the superinjunction now allows the media to report on the circumstances of the breach and the government's response, which had been kept from scrutiny for nearly two years.
