CPS cancels meeting on rape victims’ phone data due to legal action – The Guardian

‘Police chiefs and prosecutors have been accused of treating a coalition of women’s groups with contempt after cancelling a meeting to discuss concerns over requests to hand over mobile phone records in rape investigations.’

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The Guardian, 6th July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police face calls to end use of facial recognition software – The Guardian

‘Police are facing calls to halt the use of facial recognition software to search for suspected criminals in public after independent analysis found matches were only correct in a fifth of cases and the system was likely to break human rights laws.’

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The Guardian, 3rd July 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog criticises ‘chaotic’ police use of facial recognition – The Guardian

‘Police forces are pushing ahead with the use of facial recognition systems in the absence of clear laws on whether, when or how the technology should be employed, a watchdog has said.’

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The Guardian, 27th June 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Mike Gordon: Privacy International, Parliamentary Sovereignty and the Synthetic Constitution – UK Constitutional Law Association

‘The case of R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal is the latest in a series of high profile judicial engagements with the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty. The case concerned the legal status of s.68(7) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and in particular, whether this provision constituted a successful attempt to oust the jurisdiction of the High Court to hear challenges to the decisions of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal by judicial review.’

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UK Constitutional Law Association, 26th June 2019

Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org

MI5 engaged in ‘extraordinary and persistent illegality’ whilst handling personal data, High Court hears – Daily Telegraph

‘MI5 has been unlawfully holding people’s data collected through surveillance or hacking programmes, the high court has been told.’

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Daily Telegraph, 11th June 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Facial recognition tech: watchdog calls for code to regulate police use – The Guardian

‘The information commissioner has expressed concern over the lack of a formal legal framework for the use of facial recognition cameras by the police. A barrister for the commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, told a court the current guidelines around automated facial recognition (AFR) technology were “ad hoc” and a clear code was needed.’

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The Guardian, 23rd May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Home Secretary speech on keeping our country safe – Home Office

Posted May 23rd, 2019 in intelligence services, investigatory powers, police, speeches, terrorism by tracey

‘Home Secretary Sajid Javid spoke on security, the threat from terrorism and the importance of international collaboration.’

Full speech

Home Office, 20th May 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Secret ‘Torture Loophole’ Raises Serious Questions For Government, MP David Davis And Barrister Say – Rights Info

‘The government must be asked “serious questions” on how a secret policy allowing ministers to approve actions that could lead to torture was signed off, a leading QC and Tory MP have said.’

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Rights Info, 20th May 2019

Source: rightsinfo.org

Police facial recognition surveillance court case starts – BBC News

‘The first major legal challenge to police use of automated facial recognition surveillance begins in Cardiff later.’

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BBC News, 21st May 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Man who ‘confessed’ to raping woman in Facebook message was not prosecuted – The Independent

‘A man who “confessed” on Facebook Messenger to raping a woman in her sleep will not be prosecuted because authorities think there is “no realistic prospect of conviction”, The Independent can reveal.’

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The Independent, 19th May 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

UK government security decisions can be challenged in court, judges rule – The Guardian

‘Government security decisions will in future be open to challenge in the courts after judges ruled that a secretive intelligence tribunal could not be exempt from legal action.’

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The Guardian, 15th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Anisminic 2.0 – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Supreme Court has ruled in R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal [2019] UKSC 22 that the Investigatory Powers Tribunal’s decisions are nevertheless amenable to judicial review, despite the existence of a powerfully-drawn ‘ouster clause’ preventing its decisions from being questioned by a court.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 15th May 2019

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

New Judgment: R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal & Ors [2019] UKSC 22 – UKSC Blog

‘Inter alia, The Supreme Court held, by a majority, that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, s 67(8) did not “oust” the supervisory jurisdiction of the High Court to quash a decision of the IPT for error of law. Following authority, it was clear that the drafter of s 67(8) would have had no doubt that a determination vitiated by any error of law, jurisdictional or not, was to be treated as no determination at all, and so could not be ousted. The plain words of the subsection must yield to the principle that such a clause will not protect a decision that is legally invalid, as there is a common law presumption against ousting the High Court’s jurisdiction.’

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UKSC Blog, 15th May 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

UK’s organised crime threat at record level, warns National Crime Agency – The Guardian

Posted May 13th, 2019 in brexit, budgets, crime prevention, gangs, internet, investigatory powers, news, police by sally

‘Britain risks losing the fight against organised crime unless police receive significant new resources to tackle the “chronic and corrosive” threat from such groups, the head of the National Crime Agency has warned.’

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The Guardian, 12th May 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

No necessity to arrest where person voluntarily attended police station – UK Police Law Blog

Posted May 1st, 2019 in appeals, detention, harassment, investigatory powers, news, police, reasons by tracey

‘Every police officer knows they must have a reasonable suspicion that a person has committed an offence in order to arrest them. But that is only half of what is required. The second element is that they must have a reasonable belief in the necessity for the person’s arrest. The recent decision of Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police v MR [2019] EWHC 888 (QB) is one of a number of recent cases where appellate judgments have sought to tighten-up what the police must show in order to prove necessity.’

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UK Police Law Blog, 30th April 2019

Source: ukpolicelawblog.com

High Court gives green light to judicial review challenge over guidance on use of children as spies – Local Government Lawyer

‘The High Court has granted charity Just for Kids Law permission to proceed with its judicial review challenge over the use of children as spies by the police and other investigative agencies.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Speech by Sir Rabinder Singh: Kay Everett Memorial Lecture – Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

Posted February 22nd, 2019 in human rights, intelligence services, investigatory powers, lectures, tribunals by tracey

‘The second Kay Everett memorial lecture was delivered by the President of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, Sir Rabinder Singh, on Wednesday 20 February 2019.’

Full speech

Courts and Tribunals Judiciary, 21st February 2019

Source: www.judiciary.uk

Police to get more stop and search powers to tackle acid attacks – Home Office

‘Home Secretary Sajid Javid will give police new powers to stop and search anyone suspected of carrying a corrosive substance in public.’

Full press release

Home Office, 20th February 2019

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Before facial recognition tech can be used, it needs to be limited – The Independent

‘New research on facial recognition technology trials by police calls for tighter regulation to protect human rights.’

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The Independent, 21st February 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Defined penalties gives Pensions Regulator powers to protect defined benefit schemes – Doughty Street Chambers

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd MP has announced that the government will introduce two new criminal offences to penalise the mismanagement of pension schemes.

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Doughty Street Chambers, 11th February 2019

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk