Phone hacking: Fresh News of the World claims to be heard – BBC News

Posted January 19th, 2016 in class actions, interception, media, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Fresh claims of phone hacking by the now defunct News of the World newspaper can be heard in court, a High Court judge has ruled.’

Full story

BBC News, 18th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal Professional Privilege for Prisoners – The Bar Council

‘Justice Minister Andrew Selous MP has explained the authorisation process for listening in to communications between lawyers and clients in prisons. The parliamentary written answer, published yesterday, suggests that the prison service effectively self-authorises breaches of legal professional privilege (LPP).’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 13th January 2016

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Private messages at work can be read by European employers – BBC News

Posted January 14th, 2016 in electronic mail, employment, human rights, interception, news, privacy by sally

‘Employers can read workers’ private messages sent via chat software and webmail accounts during working hours, judges have ruled.’

Full story

BBC News, 13th January 2016

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Phone Hacking and the Level of Damages – Panopticon

Posted December 21st, 2015 in damages, interception, media, news, privacy by sally

‘It is panto season, and everyone loves a good villain. This Christmas’ Wicked Stepmother is the Mirror Group who, when asking ‘Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the most liable of them all?’ has received the answer from the Court of Appeal that they are and must pay the consequences.’

Full story

Panopticon, 17th December 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

‘Plebgate’ and the protection of journalistic sources – Panopticon

Posted December 18th, 2015 in damages, interception, investigatory powers, media, news, police, privacy by sally

‘It has been a mixed day for the media’s entanglements with the judiciary. Chris Knight posted earlier today about the unhappy outcome for Mirror Group Newspapers before the Court of Appeal in the Gulati privacy damages litigation arising from phone-hacking. News Group Newspapers, however – together with Sun journalist claims Tom Newton Dunn, Anthony France and Craig Woodehouse – had a happier outcome in another case about telephone privacy, though this time with the media as victim rather than perpetrator of the interference.’

Full story

Panopticon, 17th December 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Phone hacking: Mirror Group loses appeal over damages – BBC News

Posted December 18th, 2015 in appeals, damages, interception, media, news by sally

‘Mirror Group Newspapers has lost its appeal over damages paid to eight victims of phone hacking.’

Full story

BBC News, 17th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police illegally accessed journalist’s phone records during Plebgate investigation – Daily Telegraph

‘The Metropolitan Police illegally accessed the phone records of a journalist while desperately trying to find the source of a leek during the Plebgate scandal, a tribunal has ruled.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 17th December 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Phone hacking: 10 years of resignations, cover-ups and convictions – The Guardian

‘It began in December 2005 when the Metropolitan police started an investigation into the hacking of Prince William’s phone and has ended exactly 10 years later. In the intervening period, hundreds lost their jobs and many more reputations were both shredded and made, mainly on the legal benches.’

Full story

The Guardian, 11th December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

CPS ends phone hacking investigations – BBC News

‘No more prosecutions will be brought over alleged phone hacking at newspapers owned by the Mirror Group or News Group Newspapers, prosecutors say.’

Full story

Full CPS press release

BBC News, 11th December 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK surveillance bill could bring ‘very dire consequences’, warns Apple chief – The Guardian

‘Apple’s chief executive has sharply criticised surveillance powers proposed by the British government, warning that allowing spies a backdoor route into citizens’ communications could have “very dire consequences”.’

Full story

The Guardian, 10th November 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Interception, Authorisation and Redress in the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted November 5th, 2015 in bills, interception, investigatory powers, news, tribunals, warrants by sally

‘The Government has published a draft Bill on Investigatory Powers that it hopes to see through Parliament within a year. If it becomes law, the Investigatory Powers Bill will replace much, but not all, of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, as well as the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 5th November 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

UK government to reform communication surveillance laws – OUT-LAW.com

‘Data recording what websites internet users have visited will need to be retained for up to 12 months by telecommunication service providers under proposed new surveillance laws that have been outlined by the UK government.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 4th October 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

UK surveillance powers explained – BBC News

‘A new law setting out what powers the UK state will have to monitor communications between citizens is set to be unveiled. How will it work?’

Full story

BBC News, 4th November 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal hears government surveillance law case – BBC News

‘Judges have begun hearing a government appeal against a ruling that its surveillance legislation is unlawful.’

Full story

BBC News, 22nd October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Court of Appeal considers damages for privacy breaches – data protection to follow suit? – Panopticon

Posted October 21st, 2015 in appeals, compensation, damages, data protection, interception, media, news, privacy by sally

‘This week, the Court of Appeal is grappling with a difficult and important question: how do you value an invasion of privacy? In other words, where someone has suffered a breach of their privacy rights, how do you go about determining the compensation they should receive?’

Full story

Panopticon, 20th October 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

New laws to allow spies to hack people’s smartphones and computers – Daily Telegraph

‘The investigatory powers bill will give greater powers to MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, according to reports.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 21st October 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

IPT rules on interception of Parliamentarians’ communications – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted October 20th, 2015 in interception, investigatory powers, news, parliament, tribunals by sally

‘If parliamentarians are seen to be taking a more forensic interest in matters of surveillance in the coming weeks and months, the reason is unlikely to be purely down to the publication of the greatly anticipated surveillance legislation. Last week’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal judgment has sent ripples of discontent through both Houses of Parliament, evidenced in immediate calls for an emergency debate on the subject (scheduled to take place in the House of Commons later today).’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 19th October 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

What is the Wilson doctrine? The story behind MPs’ protection from snooping – The Guardian

‘The convention, outlined by former Labour PM Harold Wilson, says intelligence agencies should not bug MPs, but that hasn’t stopped such behaviour occurring.’

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Surveillance of MPs’ data challenged – BBC News

‘Three politicians will challenge the lawfulness of the intelligence services’ bulk interception of electronic data at a hearing later.’

Full story

BBC News, 23rd July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The Sun launches human rights legal challenge against Metropolitan Police over phone records search – The Independent

‘A legal challenge against the Metropolitan Police by The Sun newspaper – where three reporters say their human rights were breached during the ‘plebgate’ affair – has started at the High Court.’

Full story

The Independent, 20th July 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk