Category Archives: Surveillance

ICO 2013 Conference Review

Posted on Tuesday 2nd April 2013 by

Roger Bescoby reviews the recent ICO conference… I was on my travels last week and on Tuesday (5th May 2013) found myself at the ICO Data Protection Officers’ Conference  in Manchester. Over 800 people present and about 300 ‘waiting outside … Continue reading →

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Trainer under Surveillance! – RIPA required or even obtainable?

Posted on Wednesday 6th March 2013 by

About 5pm I arrive at a small hotel ready to deliver training the next day. There is no car park at the hotel so I park on the large pay and display opposite. I check the charges, and buy the … Continue reading →

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RIPA, CHIS and the IPT

Posted on Friday 23rd November 2012 by

A recent legal case about undercover police officers’ activities whilst investigating protest groups, has raised the importance of RIPA forms being completed correctly and care being taken when authorising them. Ten women have launched  a legal action claiming they were … Continue reading →

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First Magistrates’ Approval of RIPA Surveillance

Posted on Monday 12th November 2012 by

Gateshead Council MAY HAVE become the first local authority in the country to successfully obtain Magistrates’ approval for covert surveillance under new laws which came into force on 1st November 2012. Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Protection of … Continue reading →

Posted in Privacy, Protection of Freedoms Act, RIPA, Surveillance | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

RIPA Policy and Procedure Toolkit (November 2012)

Posted on Thursday 1st November 2012 by

Major changes to the local authority surveillance regime (under RIPA) come into force this today. Local authorities will need to obtain Magistrates’ approval for all surveillance done under RIPA. Directed Surveillance will be subject to a new serious crime test … Continue reading →

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1st November: D-Day for Council Surveillance

Posted on Wednesday 17th October 2012 by

1st of November 2012 will see big changes in the way local authorities carry out surveillance under Regulation fo Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA): 1. Magistrates’ Approval for all Surveillance Sections 37 and 38 of the Protection of Freedoms Act … Continue reading →

Posted in Privacy, Protection of Freedoms Act, RIPA, Surveillance | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New RIPA Procedure Guidance: Magistrates’ Approval

Posted on Friday 12th October 2012 by

Chapter 2 of Part 2 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (sections 37 and 38) comes into force on 1st November 2012. This changes the procedure for the authorisation of local authority surveillance under the Regulation for Investigatory Powers … Continue reading →

Posted in Privacy, Protection of Freedoms Act, RIPA, Surveillance | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Mind the (Surveillance) Gap!

Posted on Wednesday 3rd October 2012 by

Before the 2010 election, both coalition parties made a big thing about “rolling back the Surveillance State.” They announced in the Coalition Agreement:  “We will ban the use of powers in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) by councils, … Continue reading →

Posted in Privacy, Protection of Freedoms Act, RIPA, Surveillance | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Judicial Approval for Council Surveillance

Posted on Friday 31st August 2012 by

The Commencement Order for, amongst other things, the RIPA provisions within the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 has now been made. This means that from 1st November 2012 all local authority surveillance will require judicial approval. Chapter 2 of Part … Continue reading →

Posted in Privacy, Protection of Freedoms Act, RIPA, Surveillance | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

The 2012 Surveillance Commissioner Report

Posted on Wednesday 8th August 2012 by

By Steve Morris The Office of Surveillance Commissioners published its 2012 annual report (covering the period from 1st April 2011 to 31st March 2012) on 14th July 2011. The report details statistics relating to the use of Part 2 of RIPA … Continue reading →

Posted in Privacy, RIPA, Surveillance | Tagged , , | 1 Comment