National Security trumps disclosure of Litvinenko secret documents, rules High Court – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs v Assistant Deputy Coroner for Inner North London [2013] EWHC 3724 (Admin). The Foreign Secretary successfully appealed against an order for disclosure of secret documents to the Inquest for the death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 5th December 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Litvinenko, courts and secrecy – BBC News

‘The government has successfully won a court order blocking the release of secret information in relation to the death of the former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko. Alexander Litvinenko fell ill after a meeting with former KGB contacts in London in 2006. It is the latest legal twist in what is becoming an ever-more complicated legal fight between his widow, the proposed coroner and ministers over what should or should not be made public about the nature of his death.’

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BBC News, 27th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Alexander Litvinenko inquest: high court halts lifting of secrecy order – The Guardian

Posted November 27th, 2013 in closed material, coroners, disclosure, inquests, intelligence services, murder, news, Russia by sally

‘The government has won a high court order to prevent the partial lifting of a secrecy order affecting the proposed inquest into the death of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko.’

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The Guardian, 27th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Watchdog demands GCHQ report on NSA’s UK data storage – The Guardian

‘The watchdog tasked with scrutinising the work of Britain’s intelligence agencies is to demand an urgent report from GCHQ about revelations that the phone, internet and email records of British citizens have been analysed and stored by America’s National Security Agency.’

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The Guardian, 21st November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CF v Security Service and others; Mohamed v Foreign and Commonwealth Office and others – WLR Daily

CF v Security Service and others; Mohamed v Foreign and Commonwealth Office and others [2013] EWHC 3402 (QB); [2013] WLR (D) 439

“A court could make a declaration under section 6 of the Justice and Security Act 2013 permitting a closed material application to be made to the court before a public interest immunity claim had been made or determined.”

WLR Daily, 7th November 2013

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

The real question about the terror suspect who fled in a burqa: did MI5 bring him here illegally? – The Guardian

Posted November 14th, 2013 in fugitive offenders, intelligence services, news, rendition, torture by sally

“Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed’s escape was an embarrassment. The alleged torture and rendition that came before it might just be a major scandal.”

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The Guardian, 13th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MI6 spy found dead in bag probably locked himself inside, Met says – The Guardian

Posted November 13th, 2013 in accidents, inquests, intelligence services, news by sally

“The MI6 spy found dead in a bag three years ago probably locked himself in the holdall and died as a result of a tragic accident, Scotland Yard has said.”

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The Guardian, 13th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK objects to attempt by Council of Europe to examine online spying – The Guardian

“Britain is delaying the publication of a declaration on internet freedom by the 47 members of Europe’s human rights watchdog after objecting to a probe into the gathering of ‘vast amounts of electronic data’ by intelligence agencies.”

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The Guardian, 8th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK spy chiefs to face MPs over mass surveillance – The Guardian

Posted November 7th, 2013 in intelligence services, investigatory powers, news, select committees by sally

“The three heads of the British intelligence agencies are to make an unprecedented public televised appearance in front of the intelligence and security committee of MPs where they will seek to justify the scale of their surveillance activities.”

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The Guardian, 7th November 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Investigatory Powers Tribunal – BBC Law in Action

“Law in Action speaks exclusively to Mr Justice Burton, president of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal – a judicial body, independent of the government, which considers complaints brought against the intelligence services, the police, military and local authorities. It specifically investigates whether surveillance has been conducted in a lawful manner.”

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BBC Law in Action, 5th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal bid over David Miranda detention at Heathrow – BBC News

“Lawyers for the partner of a journalist are due back in court in a legal challenge to his airport detention under anti-terrorism laws.”

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BBC News, 6th November 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Another hall of mirrors human rights story from the Telegraph – Daily Telegraph

“Yesterday saw another poor piece of human rights reporting from the Telegraph, again from Home Affairs Correspondent David Barrett. Strasbourg human rights court threatens key counter-terrorism powers. It is a typical piece of hall-of-mirrors reporting; all of the basic elements are there but presented in a distorted and inaccurate way.”

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UK Human Rights Blog, 27th October 2013

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Government urges court to reject Libya rendition case – BBC News

Posted October 22nd, 2013 in intelligence services, ministers' powers and duties, news, rendition by sally

“The UK government is trying to prevent a former Libyan dissident and his wife seeking damages over its alleged role in their rendition to Tripoli in 2004.”

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BBC News, 21st October 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK’s top prosecutor defends journalists who break law in public interest – The Guardian

“Britain’s most senior prosecutor has launched a robust defence of journalists who break the law pursuing investigations that have a genuine public interest. Legal guidelines had been drafted, he said, to protect reporters.”

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The Guardian, 18th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Extent of spies’ mass surveillance to be investigated by parliamentary body – The Guardian

Posted October 17th, 2013 in inquiries, intelligence services, news, select committees, spying by sally

“The extent and scale of mass surveillance undertaken by Britain’s spy agencies is to be scrutinised in a major inquiry to be formally launched on Thursday.”

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The Guardian, 17th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Surveillance tribunal may allow publicity – The Guardian

“The new president of the court that examines complaints about the intelligence services and government surveillance has indicated he may publish advance notice of its public hearings for the first time.”

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The Guardian, 14th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

GCHQ accused of monitoring privileged emails between lawyers and clients – The Guardian

“GCHQ is probably intercepting legally privileged communications between lawyers and their clients, according to a detailed claim filed on behalf of eight Libyans involved in politically sensitive compensation battles with the UK.”

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The Guardian, 13th October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

GCHQ faces legal challenge in European court over online privacy – The Guardian

Posted October 4th, 2013 in human rights, intelligence services, internet, news, privacy by sally

“The UK spy agency GCHQ is facing a legal challenge in the European courts over claims that its mass online surveillance programmes have breached the privacy of tens of millions of people across the UK and Europe.”

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The Guardian, 3rd October 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK’s surveillance laws need overhaul, says former defence secretary – The Guardian

“Laws used by Britain’s spy agencies to justify mass surveillance and interception techniques must be reviewed to ensure they have kept pace with ‘incredible changes’ in communications, one of the country’s foremost intelligence experts has said.”

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The Guardian, 26th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

NSA and GCHQ unlock privacy and security on the internet – The Guardian

“US and British intelligence agencies have successfully cracked much of the online encryption relied upon by hundreds of millions of people to protect the privacy of their personal data, online transactions and emails, according to top-secret documents revealed by former contractor Edward Snowden.”

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The Guardian, 6th September 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk