Woman in ‘spy’ council tribunal – BBC News
“A woman who says she was spied on by her local authority to find out whether she lived in the catchment area of a school is starting a legal challenge.”
BBC News, 5th November 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: investigatory powers
Child support investigators get new spying powers – Daily Telegraph
“The agency responsible for tracing absent parents is to be given access to phone and email records for the first time, under Home Office rules.”
Daily Telegraph, 4th November 2009
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Alan Johnson announces plans to curb excessive council surveillance – The Times
“Councils are to have their powers to snoop on the public curbed under government plans aimed at addressing alarm at the expansion of the surveillance state.”
The Times, 4th November 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Arms protester on police spotter card was alleged infiltrator for BAE – The Guardian
“The 2005 spotter card, published by the Guardian this week, contains a photograph of Martin Hogbin, who was national co-ordinator for the Campaign against the Arms Trade. He was later accused of supplying information to a company linked to BAE’s security department, but denied the allegation.”
The Guardian, 27th October 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Spy v spy at new supreme court as MI5 secrecy is put to the test – The Guardian
“It may not have the ring of a historic legal battle. But the case of A v B, which opened at the new supreme court today, has a significance that goes way beyond the banal soubriquets of the two sides.”
The Guardian, 20th October 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
A request to snoop on public every 60 secs – Daily Telegraph
“Councils, police and other public bodies are seeking access to people’s private telephone and email records almost 1,400 times a day, new figures have disclosed.”
Daily Telegraph, 9th August 2009
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Why must a secret service fair hearing be heard in secret? – The Times
“Former MI5 officers guard many secrets. But, as Dame Stella Rimington well knows, they can tell their own stories. A former agent has to seek prior approval for publication from his or her former employers and, if it is not given, any dispute will ultimately be adjudicated by a High Court Judge with all the usual safeguards to ensure a fair trial. Or so it was thought until the Court of Appeal gave judgment in A v B.”
The Times, 11th June 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Council uses terror law to spy on shirker in shower – The Times
“A local council has used surveillance powers designed to catch terrorists and prevent serious crime to check how long a member of staff spent in the shower.”
The Times, 24th May 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Giant database plan to be set out – BBC News
“Plans to track all e-mails sent, all phone calls made and all internet pages visited in the UK are to be unveiled by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.”
BBC News, 27th April 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ex-defence chief says attack on liberties is bowing to terrorists – The Guardian
“A former chief of the defence staff has warned that the ‘creeping irreversible curtailment’ of civil liberties in the name of national security is ‘playing the game by terrorists’ rules’.
The Guardian, 24th April 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
The anti-terror law used on litterbugs – BBC News
“Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is to clamp down on local councils who use anti-terror laws to catch litterbugs and other minor offenders.”
BBC News, 17th April 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Home Secretary outlines review of Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act
“Plans to stop investigatory powers being used for trivial purposes were announced by the Home Secretary today (17 April).”
Home Office, 17th April 2009
Source: www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Ministers to review councils’ use of anti-terrorism surveillance powers – The Guardian
“The government tried yesterday to quell rising concern over the abuse of powers designed to fight terrorism and serious crime, which some councils were using to target people who put their bins out on the wrong day.”
The Guardian, 17th April 2009
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Regina (A) v Director of Establishments of the Security Service – Times Law Reports
Regina (A) v Director of Establishments of the Security Service
Court of Appeal
“The Administrative Court did not have jurisdiction to entertain a claim that a public authority proposed to act in a way incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights where the matters brought up were within the purview of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.”
The Times, 6th April 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
MEPs urge governments to produce surveillance register – OUT-LAW.com
“Governments should create a list of all organisations that track internet use and produce an annual report on internet surveillance, the European Parliament has said.”
OUT-LAW.com, 2nd April 2009
Source: www.out-law.com
Extent of council spying revealed – BBC News
“Councils in England and Wales have used controversial spying laws 10,000 times in the past five years, figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show.”
Full story
BBC News, 26th March 2009
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Lawyer-client privilege can’t stop surveillance, says House of Lords – OUT-LAW.com
“The state is allowed to bug communication between lawyers and their clients, the House of Lords has said. The UK’s highest court ruled that spy law the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) allows lawyers’ conversations to be bugged.”
OUT-LAW.com, 23rd March 2009
Source: www.out-law.com
McE v Prison Service of Northern Ireland; C and A v Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; M v Same – WLR Daily
McE v Prison Service of Northern Ireland; C and A v Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; M v Same [2009] UKHL 15; [2009] WLR(D) 90
“The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (‘RIPA’) permitted covert surveillance of communications between lawyers and their clients covered by legal professional privilege and notwithstanding any statutory rights of persons in custody to consult privately with their lawyers.”
WLR Daily, 12th March 2009
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
McE v Prison Service of Northern Ireland and Another; C and A v Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; M v Same – Times Law Reports
House of Lords
“Covert surveillance of communications between lawyers and their clients, covered by legal professional privilege, was permitted under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, notwithstanding any statutory rights of persons in custody to consult their lawyers in private.”
The Times, 12th March 2009
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
