The UK Government has announced it will take time to fully consider a significant Supreme Court ruling before responding to calls to publicly name the notorious Army agent known as Stakeknife.
Court Decision on Troubles Case
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn stated the Government welcomes the unanimous judgment handed down by the Supreme Court on Wednesday 17 December 2025. The ruling centred on a Government appeal concerning a coroner's decision to release sensitive material related to the 1994 murder of Liam Paul Thompson in Belfast.
The court decided the coroner should not disclose the information, stating that the responsibility for assessing national security risks lies with the Northern Ireland Secretary. Lord Stephens, in his judgment, highlighted that disclosing documents could reveal whether security forces received information from a covert source, conflicting with the long-standing Neither Confirm Nor Deny (NCND) policy.
Pressure from Operation Kenova
This legal development comes just a week after the publication of the final Operation Kenova report. That investigation, which examined Stakeknife's activities, strongly urged the Government to end the secrecy and reveal the agent's identity.
Stakeknife, who operated as the British Army's top spy inside the Provisional IRA's internal security unit during the Troubles, has been linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions. He was widely reported to be Freddie Scappaticci, a west Belfast man who died in 2023 aged 77.
Government's Cautious Stance
Mr Benn acknowledged the Supreme Court ruling has "wide-ranging implications" and described the case as highly complex. He confirmed the Government will now examine all aspects of the judgment, including its relevance to the request from Operation Kenova.
"The Government will therefore take time to fully consider all aspects of this judgment, including those relevant to the request made by Operation Kenova for the Government to name Stakeknife," Benn said. He pledged to return to the House of Commons once a final view is reached.
The Government has consistently resisted naming Stakeknife, arguing that breaking the NCND policy for agents would have serious implications for national security and the safety of intelligence operations.
