Whistleblower David McBride pleads guilty after court rules to withhold evidence over ‘security’ risk

ACT supreme court upholds commonwealth's claim that release of some documents could jeopardise security and defence of Australia'

Whistleblower David McBride has pleaded guilty to three charges after an ACT supreme court upheld a commonwealth intervention to withhold key evidence it deemed as having the potential to jeopardise the security and defence of Australia" if released.

Originally facing five charges, the former military lawyer pleaded guilty in the ACT supreme court on Friday afternoon to three offences, including stealing commonwealth information and passing that on to journalists at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.