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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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

Posted January 28th, 2015 in conspiracy, corruption, costs, damages, interception, media, news, telecommunications, time limits by tracey

‘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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

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 tracey

‘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 tracey

‘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.’

Full story

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 tracey

‘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

Home Office told to disclose advice behind decision on intercept evidence – The Guardian

‘The Home Office has been ordered to release secret legal advice justifying its decision to prevent intercept evidence being used in criminal trials. The ruling by an information tribunal could shine a light on the way intelligence agencies gather and store material as well as on their relationship with law enforcement organisations. The appeal for the advice to be disclosed was made by the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law which submitted a Freedom of Information request to uncover the reasoning behind a 2009 report, entitled “Intercept as Evidence”.’

Full story

The Guardian, 16th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Phone hacking: Rebekah Brooks’s husband loses £600,000 costs claim – The Guardian

‘Rebekah Brooks’s husband Charlie has lost his bid to recover the £600,000 in legal fees he incurred as a result of being a co-defendant in the phone-hacking trial.’

Full story

The Guardian, 15th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ripa: Curbs on police hacking journalist phones to find story sources – Daily Telegraph

‘Police will be banned from accessing reporter phone logs under the powers of Ripa unless they can show it is for serious crime.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 12th October 2014

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Police admit use of snooping powers to reveal journalists’ sources must change – The Guardian

Posted October 8th, 2014 in interception, investigatory powers, news, police by sally

‘Senior police officers have conceded that the way police are authorised to use snooping powers to identify journalists’ sources needs to change.’

Full story

The Guardian, 7th October 2014

Source: www.guardian.co.uk