English abstract
The aim of this study is to discuss the criminal liability resulting from the breach of the employee commitment to career secrets as it explains the crime of secret disclosures as stated in Article (164) of Oman Penal Code, the crime elements, and the cases in which the employee's liability for disclosing career secrets is dropped.
The study also explains the provisions of Omani Law and the jurisprudential opinions related to the crime of secrets disclosure. The study consists of four chapters. The first one describes the concept of the public employee. The second chapter illustrates the meaning of career secrets. Then, the third chapter is meant to explain the crime of career secret disclosure and its elements. Finally, the fourth chapter clarifies the cases in which the employee's liability for disclosing career secrets is dropped. The main findings of the study are as follows:
1. The Omani legislator imposes a set of liabilities, which the employee must abide by, and a set of prohibited behaviors that must be avoided.
2. It is difficult to define the secret as the law does not illustrate its meaning because defining the meaning of a secret seems to be impossible. Hence, every case shall be studied separately as information may be considered as a secret in one place or time, whereas may not be considered as a secret in another place or time. The same rule applies to persons.
3. Once the elements of the crime are complete, the employee shall be condemned even if he/she did not intend to disclose secrets. The crime is considered as a crime for secret disclosure not for the secret disclosure consequences.
