Queen’s Speech: New online data terror powers proposed – BBC News

‘Planned new laws to give police and spies stronger powers to “target the online communications” of terrorist suspects are in the Queen’s Speech.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th May 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Legal experts call for greater scrutiny of surveillance laws – The Guardian

‘An alliance of prominent academics have signed a letter to the government warning against any expansions of state surveillance without the full involvement of parliament and the public.’

Full story

The Guardian, 26th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Intelligence agencies can hack computers without breaking UK laws – OUT-LAW.com

‘The UK government changed the law to enable intelligence agencies to engage in computer hacking without being said to be in breach of the Computer Misuse Act, privacy campaigners have claimed. The government has said the powers were already in existence and that the reforms merely serve to clarify the legal position.’

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 18th May 2015

Source: www.out-law.com

Codes of practice for the acquisition, disclosure and retention of communications data – Home Office

‘Guidance on the procedures that should be followed when the communications data is accessed or disclosed under RIPA, or retained under DRIPA or the ATCSA.’

Full press release

Home Office, 15th May 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

NCA slammed as ‘ignorant’ and ‘ill-informed’ by High Court judge after agency used unlawful search warrants – The Independent

Posted May 14th, 2015 in investigatory powers, national crime agency, news, warrants by tracey

‘The National Crime Agency has been condemned as “incompetent” and “systematically flawed” by a High Court judge – after officers unlawfully used search warrants to plant a surveillance device without warning magistrates.’

Full story

The Independent, 13th May 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Snoopers’ Charter: Theresa May’s plan to push ahead with Communications Data Bill sparks online campaign for internet freedom – The Independent

‘Online campaigners have already begun fighting Conservative plans to push ahead with the introduction of sweeping new surveillance powers in what has been dubbed the “Snoopers’ Charter”.’

Full story

The Independent, 10th May 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

GCHQ conducted illegal surveillance, investigatory powers tribunal rules – The Guardian

‘GCHQ, Britain’s national security surveillance agency, has been ordered to destroy legally privileged communications it unlawfully collected from a Libyan rendition victim.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

UK intelligence tribunal to rule on surveillance case – The Guardian

‘A tribunal that hears complaints against the UK intelligence services is due to rule in a major state surveillance case on the confidentiality of conversations between lawyers and their clients.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

News focus: law and justice pledges – Law Society’s Gazette

‘The general election manifestos are in – here’s our quick-fire summary of their headline pledges on law and justice.’

Full story

Law Society’s Gazette, 20th April 2015

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Police use stop and search powers on 300 toddlers – Daily Telegraph

‘Research shows hundreds of under-fives have been frisked by officers in the last five years, often because of fears they have been forced to carry drugs or guns.’

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 15th March 2015

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

UK surveillance laws need total overhaul, says landmark report – The Guardian

Posted March 13th, 2015 in intelligence services, investigatory powers, news, privacy by sally

‘Britain’s laws governing the intelligence agencies and mass surveillance require a total overhaul to make them more transparent, comprehensible and up to date, parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC) has said in a landmark report prompted by the revelations of Edward Snowden, the former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor.’

Full story

The Guardian, 12th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

High Court considers purpose behind subject access request under the DPA – Panopticon

‘It is not uncommon for data controllers to be faced with subject access requests under s. 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 the motivations for which appear to have nothing whatever to do with the purposes of the DPA. The DPA seeks to protect individuals’ privacy rights with respect to data which is processed about them. The subject access provisions help people check up on that data and its processing (see for example YS v Minister voor Immigratie (Cases C-141/12 & C-372/12)). In practice, however, a subject access request is a fishing expedition with an eye on prospective litigation.’

Full story

Panopticon, 10th March 2015

Source: www.panopticonblog.com

Public protest, private rights – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R (Catt) and R (T) v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis [2015] UKSC 9. A majority of the Supreme Court has held that the retention by police of information on the Domestic Extremism Database about a 91 year-old activist’s presence at political protests was (1) in accordance with the law and (2) a proportionate interference with his right to a private life under Article 8(1) of the ECHR.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 6th March 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Policing abuse in the online world – where does the law currently stand? – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

‘The prevalence of racist and misogynistic abuse online has become firmly established as a matter that now warrants considerable political attention. As legislators pick between the differences in “real world” and online forms of abuse, as well as judicial borders of the internet, Rhory Robertson, partner at Collyer Bristow LLP, outlines the many questions that must be addressed in any new lawmaking.’

Full story

Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 6th March 2015

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

MPs ‘dismayed’ that police continue to compile database of faces – The Guardian

‘A committee of MPs has condemned police for continuing to upload custody photographs, including of people never charged, to a face recognition database, despite a high court judgement that ruled the practice was unlawful.’

Full story

The Guardian, 7th March 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Access all areas? – New Law Journal

‘Overriding lawyer-client & confidential communications is incompatible with the rule of law, as Nicholas Griffin QC, Robert O’Sullivan QC & Gordon Nardell QC explain.’

Full story

New Law Journal, 27th February 2015

Source: www.newlawjournal.co.uk

Britain is leading the charge against basic human rights, Amnesty claims – The Independent

‘Increased surveillance in Britain, along with the reduction of access to justice, have contributed to one of the worst assaults on human rights in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall, according to a damning assessment by Amnesty International.’

Full story

The Independent, 25th February 2015

Source: www.independent.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.’

Full story

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.’

Full story

The Guardian, 18th February 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal and the rule of law – UK Human Rights Blog

‘Despite being hailed as an ‘historic victory in the age-old battle for the right to privacy and free expression’, closer examination of a recent ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (‘IPT’) reveals it to have been a hollow victory.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 16th February 2015

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com