Section 23 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 (c. 35) provides that it is an offence for a person who is or has been a member or employee of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (“the Commission”) to disclose information obtained by the Commission in the exercise of their functions, unless the disclosure is the subject of an exception under section 24 of that Act. The same applies to the authorisation by a member of a disclosure made by an employee. One of the exceptions specified in section 24 is where disclosure is made in circumstances in which the disclosure of information is permitted by an order made by the Secretary of State.