London, September 19(HS):

Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, has affirmed that no external pressure influenced the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to drop espionage charges against two British men accused of spying for China. The accused—Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher—faced allegations of collecting and sharing information deemed harmful to the UK’s national security between late 2021 and early 2023.

Parkinson explained that while alternative charges were considered, none met the evidential threshold necessary to proceed to trial. The case was discontinued despite strong criticism from government officials, including the Home Office and Members of Parliament, who expressed dismay at the dismissal. Both men denied the accusations, and Beijing dismissed the claims as malicious slander.

The prosecution asserted that securing a conviction would have required proof that the information was useful to an “enemy,” a term defined under the Official Secrets Act 1911, which has since been supplemented by the broader provisions of the National Security Act 2023. The two men had been due in court in early October.

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle and Security Minister Dan Jarvis voiced profound disappointment, underscoring ongoing concerns about Chinese espionage threats. Meanwhile, Parkinson reinforced the independence of the CPS, assuring that government and Whitehall officials respected that autonomy fully.

Christopher Cash expressed relief following the decision, describing the ordeal as a “nightmare” for himself and his family and hoping for lessons to be drawn from the case. Critics remain concerned about the challenges in prosecuting espionage under existing laws but affirm the government’s commitment to safeguarding national security.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar