Publication Type

Case note/Digest

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

1-2020

Abstract

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (“RIPA”) establishes the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (“IPT”), which hears complaints relating to surveillance activities by public authorities. The Supreme Court case of R (Privacy International) v Investigatory Powers Tribunal (“Privacy International”) concerned the Secretary of State’s power under section 5 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994 to issue a warrant authorising MI5, MI6, or GCHQ to enter or interfere with property “specified” in the warrant. The IPT had to decide whether it was lawful for the Secretary of State to issue a warrant in respect of a class of property (sometimes known as a ‘thematic’ warrant), as opposed to some particular property. The IPT concluded that ‘thematic’ warrants are lawful.

Keywords

ouster clauses, privative clauses, Parliamentary sovereignty, separation of powers, administrative law, judicial review, Anisminic

Discipline

Privacy Law

Research Areas

Asian and Comparative Legal Systems

Publication

Public Law

Issue

January 2020

First Page

41

Last Page

49

ISSN

0033-3565

Publisher

Sweet and Maxwell

Included in

Privacy Law Commons

Share

COinS