London: According to a report in The Guardian on Saturday, a whistleblower in the UK who was fired after calling attention to the failures of the Afghanistan withdrawal has criticised attempts by the government to keep her legal case private.
Former Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office senior official Josie Stewart was fired after she gave the BBC anonymous comments critical of the administration's handling of the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
She filed a lawsuit challenging the dismissal, taking her case before an employment tribunal in an effort to gauge the level of whistleblower protection in British law.
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Stewart and her solicitors attended a preliminary hearing earlier this week to determine the status of the legal challenge, which is scheduled for September. Nevertheless, the government is attempting to keep the case secret due to national security concerns.
Using the legal action funding website CrowdJustice, Stewart stated: "This hearing was scheduled to hear and rule on the government's application under Rule 94 (national security proceedings).
"I regret not being able to share anything that was said at the hearing because it was private. I spoke with a Guardian reporter at the reception who arrived to cover the hearing but was turned away.
"What I can say is that on May 18, we will receive the judge's ruling and explanations. I should also mention how intense, emotional, infuriating, and inspiring I found today. It was an honour to watch my legal team at work, and they are truly remarkable.
There are some genuinely significant issues at stake, and my solicitors are fighting for me as well. They merit my and our assistance.
According to legal sources who spoke to The Guardian, the government was trying to use rule 94 to limit media coverage of the case out of concern that Stewart's commentary might bring the FCDO into disrepute.
According to the former official, during her seven years at the FCDO, she and her coworkers protected ministers who desired to "look good."
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Stewart is currently employed by the nonprofit organisation Transparency International.
In an earlier interview with The Guardian, she stated: "If the law is not tested and put to use, I don't know how much it actually means because potential whistleblowers don't know which side of the line it is going to fall on.
Is what they intend to do likely to be protected by law or not? I'm not sure how important it is that the law exists if they are unaware.
