If you had said you support 'breaking the law in certain situations' then you may have a valid point, but if you, who presumably are not involved, encourage someone to leak confidential documents, then you would be partly responsible for any unpleasant consequences resulting from the leak. How would you feel now if you had in fact encouraged John Macgregor to leak those documents? Would you feel righteous that he's lived through 14 months of hell, has contemplated suicide, and is, for now, a defeated man?

Anyone in possession of sensitive information should think long and hard about whether to share that information, and it should be a personal decision, taking into account the possible legal, professional, and health consequences both on them personally, and on family, friends and colleagues. Certainly no outsiders have any right to 'encourage' them to do so.