Press regulator to look at Daily Telegraph and HSBC allegations – The Guardian

‘The press regulator is to look at allegations that the Daily Telegraph allowed commercial pressures to dictate editorial decisions following Peter Oborne’s resignation over its coverage of HSBC.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Judges to rule on police requests for journalists’ phone records – Daily Telegraph

‘Police to be told they need to obtain the permission of a judge if they want to obtain details of a journalist’s phone calls or emails.’

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Daily Telegraph, 21st February 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK admits unlawfully monitoring legally privileged communications – The Guardian

‘The regime under which UK intelligence agencies, including MI5 and MI6, have been monitoring conversations between lawyers and their clients for the past five years is unlawful, the British government has admitted.’

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The Guardian, 18th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK government issues first definition of computer hacking by spies – The Guardian

Posted February 9th, 2015 in codes of practice, computer crime, intelligence services, interception, news by sally

‘Code of practice sets out rules and safeguards surrounding use of computer hacking outside UK by security services.’

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The Guardian, 6th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police will need judge’s permission to access journalists’ phone and email records – The Guardian

‘Police will be forced to seek the permission of a judge if they want to retrieve the phone and email records of journalists, after the prime minister’s snooping watchdog found that 19 police forces made more than 600 applications to uncover confidential sources in the past three years.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

University professors decry Theresa May’s campus anti-terrorism bill – The Guardian

‘More than 500 university professors have urged the home secretary, Theresa May, to urgently rethink her proposals to curb campus extremists.’

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The Guardian, 3rd February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High court blocks second phone-hacking claims brought by John Leslie and Jeff Brazier – The Guardian

‘Mr Justice Mann rules that settlements reached in first claims for damages against News of the World publisher barred new actions from former TV personalities.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Mass surveillance is fundamental threat to human rights, says European report – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2015 in EC law, human rights, interception, investigatory powers, news, privacy, reports by sally

‘Europe’s top rights body has said mass surveillance practices are a fundamental threat to human rights and violate the right to privacy enshrined in European law.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cilla Black among stars to settle phone hacking claims for ‘substantial’ damages – The Guardian

Posted January 23rd, 2015 in compensation, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

‘Cilla Black is among the latest group of celebrities to settle phone hacking claims for “substantial” damages with the publisher of the Mirror titles, the high court has heard.’

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The Guardian, 22nd January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MI6 forced to show how it may snoop on privileged lawyer-client exchanges – The Guardian

‘MI6 has been forced to reveal documents detailing how it may access legally privileged communications between solicitors and their clients, even if the lawyers are suing the government.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Declaration 2014: Legal Professional Privilege is vital to a fair trial – The Bar Council

‘Legal chiefs and academics today demanded new laws to stop police and security services from spying on meetings between lawyers and their clients.’

Full press release

The Bar Council, 9th December 2014

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Cracking intercepts: the war on terror and difficulties with Human Rights – UK Human Rights Blog

‘This is a fascinating case, not just on the facts or merits but because it is generated by two of the major catalysts of public law litigation: the government’s duty to look after the security of its citizens, and the rapid outpacing of surveillance law by communications technology. Anyone who has seen The Imitation Game, a film loosely based on the biography of Alan Turing, will appreciate the conflicting currents at the core of this case: the rights of an individual to know, and foresee, what the limits of his freedom are, and the necessity to conceal from the enemy how much we know about their methods. Except the Turing film takes place in official wartime, whereas now the state of being at “war” has taken on a wholly different character.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 11th December 2014

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Judicial reviews: a decision that’s best left to judges – The Guardian

‘The justice secretary wants to restrict access to judicial reviews, but judging the lawfulness of executive action should not be a matter for the executive.’

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The Guardian, 10th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK mass surveillance laws do not breach human rights, tribunal rules – The Guardian

‘Britain’s legal regime governing mass surveillance of the internet by intelligence agencies does not violate human rights, a tribunal has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 5th December 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Paul O’Grady settles News of the World phone hacking claim – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 20th, 2014 in interception, media, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Paul O’Grady, the television personality, has settled his phone hacking claim for “substantial” damages. A judge heard that News Group Newspapers, publisher of the now defunct News of the World newspaper, accepted that his “voicemail messages were intercepted and that there has been a misuse of his private information”. The announcement was made during a hearing at the High Court in London.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 19th November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

MPs’ calls to prisoners ‘taped’, says Chris Grayling – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 12th, 2014 in confidentiality, interception, news, prison officers, prisons, telecommunications by sally

‘Private conversations between MPs and prisoners from their constituencies may have been recorded and monitored in jails, Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary has announced. The minister issued an apology to the House of Commons after disclosing that communications by at least 32 current MPs were thought to be involved.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 11th November 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New press watchdog Ipso needs clearer rules, says chairman – The Guardian

Posted November 10th, 2014 in bribery, complaints, interception, media, news by sally

‘The new press regulator’s rules must be simplified if it is to fulfil promises to be fair and independent that were made by the industry after the Leveson inquiry, its chairman said on Sunday.’

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The Guardian, 9th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ian Edmondson jailed for eight months over phone hacking – The Guardian

Posted November 7th, 2014 in conspiracy, guilty pleas, interception, news, sentencing, telecommunications by sally

‘A former news editor at the News of the World has been sentenced to eight months in prison after he pleaded guilty to plotting to hack the phones of public figures, sports stars and celebrities.’

Full story

The Guardian, 7th November 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police ‘use loophole’ to access phone and email records – Daily Telegraph

‘Police forces have used a loophole to access phone and email records, it has been claimed.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 20th October 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

David Walliams settles phone-hacking damages claim – The Guardian

‘Actor and comedian David Walliams has settled his phone-hacking damages claim. Walliams, who is best known for the sketch show Little Britain but is also an author and a trustee of Comic Relief, accepted substantial undisclosed damages and his legal costs from News Group Newspapers, publisher of the now-defunct News of the World.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk