Tag Archives: ripa

Tom Brake writes: The Freedom Bill is a staging post towards an even freer society

By Tom Brake MP | Published 13th February 2011 - 11:17 am

The Freedom Bill is clear evidence of the Liberal Democrats setting the political agenda and making a positive difference to how we live in Britain.

It’s our robust answer to unwelcome and unwarranted intrusions into our everyday lives. It starts the dismantling of an overbearing surveillance state and restores British civil liberties that we used to be able to take for granted.

At the heart of the Bill is a commitment to safeguarding and protecting individuals and national security. What has felt to many like an obsession of the state to monitor our every waking moment is broken down by the …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged anti-social behaviour act, cctv, criminal records bureau, freedom bill, freedom of information, independent safeguarding authority, national dna database, Protection of Freedoms Bill 2010-11, public order act, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, rehabilitation of offenders act | 17 Comments

Anti-terrorism review: 6 questions to judge the government by

By Mark Pack | Published 25th January 2011 - 8:56 pm

With the publication of the government’s anti-terrorism review just about to happen, and likely to include a large number of details, what are the key points to look for in judging how the review has gone?

So far, we know one outcome – the reduction in the maximum period people can be held without charge from 28-days to 14-days (which is in line with the Liberal Democrat manifesto). Yet to be published are the plans on control orders (the abolition of which has been another key Liberal Democrat demand) and on a host of other anti-terrorism legislation.

What to look out for

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Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged anti-terrorist legislation, control orders, eliza manningham-buller, ken macdonald, pre-charge detention, stella rimington, stop and search | 38 Comments

Jo Shaw writes: Counter Terrorism and Security Review latest

By Jo Shaw | Published 24th January 2011 - 10:23 am

The long awaited outcome of the review of counter-terrorism and security powers is to be announced this week. Already last week, the expected and widely trailed outcome was confirmed that the length of time for pre-charge detention has been halved from 28 to 14 days – this 28 day power will lapse on Tuesday. It now appears that Theresa May will announce the outcome of the review on Wednesday, after Cabinet presumably discusses the issue on Tuesday.

The most thorny issue for the Liberal Democrats is what will go and what will remain of the highly controversial Control Order regime. David …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged anti-terrorist legislation, control orders, featured, house arrest, terrorism | 1 Comment

More details published of Government’s review of anti-terrorism powers

By Mark Pack | Published 14th July 2010 - 9:20 am

A Home Office news release tells us:

The Home Secretary has announced today that a rapid review of key counter-terrorism and security powers is underway. The review will look at what counter-terrorism powers and measures could be rolled back in order to restore the balance of civil liberties and counter-terrorism powers…

The review will look at six areas:

• the use of control orders;

• stop and search powers in section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 and the use of terrorism legislation in relation to photography;

• the detention of terrorist suspects before charge;

• extending the use of deportations with assurances to remove foreign

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Posted in News | Also tagged anti-terrorist legislation, civil liberties, ken macdonald, tom brake | Leave a comment

What they said about RIPA at the time

By Mark Pack | Published 13th August 2009 - 8:50 am

It’s March 2000 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill is going through Parliament. Then Home Secretary Charles Clarke is defending the Bill during its second reading. Reading the views expressed by Conservatives in the debate shows up an interesting split: some MPs concerned about civil liberties but also some pressing for the powers to be made much more widely available. For Liberal Democrat MPs, the concerns are about the scale of snooping the Bill will permit and the controls over it.

But all would be fine according to Charles Clarke:

Posted in Parliament | Also tagged charles clarke | Leave a comment

CommentIsLinked@LDV… Terry Stacy: Councils must be transparent and accountable about surveillance

By The Voice | Published 27th July 2009 - 8:55 pm

Well, it’s not quite an op-ed article, but there’s a detailed letter from Lib Dem leader of Islington Council, Cllr Terry Stacy, urges all councils to follow Islington’s example, and reject the local use of surveillance powers. Here’s an excerpt:

… local government really is on the frontline of Britain’s expanding surveillance state – [...] councillors and council leaders need to be held accountable for their decisions. Councillors must decide whether they embrace the surveillance society, or reject it and introduce checks and balances and public democratic oversight of the local use of surveillance powers, as the Liberal Democrats have done

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Posted in LibLink, Local government | Also tagged islington council, terry stacy | 1 Comment

Opinion: RIPA – Lib Dems are leading the way in improving scrutiny of council surveillance

By Cllr Terry Stacy | Published 27th June 2009 - 11:45 am

As the latest series of reality show Big Brother graces our TV screens, I wonder if all those millions of viewers remember that – 60 years since George Orwell published 1984 - we are increasingly living in a Big Brother Britain?

As the new leader of Islington’s Liberal Democrat council I wanted us to do our bit in rolling back the surveillance state that has been growing up around us under twelve years of Labour Government. That’s why I’m following the example of other Liberal Democrat councils like Oldham in making the council’s use of its investigatory surveillance powers more transparent, …

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged islington council, oldham council, terry stacy | Leave a comment

Lib Dem councillor reveals Lancashire Town hall uses anti-terror laws to snoop on cleaners

By Stephen Tall | Published 18th June 2009 - 7:30 pm

The Mirror reports the news:

Laws designed to fight terrorists and gangsters have been used by a council to spy on its cleaners.

It was revealed yesterday that town hall bosses employed the draconian measures over 500 times, including one occasion to snoop on bus drivers.

Lancashire county council’s tactics were uncovered by Lib Dem Mark Jewell who branded them “an abuse of power.”

Using Freedom of Information, he found out county hall chiefs in Preston ordered surveillance on the cleaners to check if they worked the right hours.

Mr Jewell discovered they frequently used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act between 2001 and

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Posted in Big mad database, LDV campaigns, News | Also tagged mark jewell | 4 Comments

Opinion: Lib Dems must lead the way in improving scrutiny of council surveillance

By Chris Ward | Published 3rd May 2009 - 5:25 pm

Media coverage of the abuses by various councils regarding the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) has been very welcome. Conversely, it has unfortunately meant that (at least from my experience) whenever it is brought up at council, those who dare scrutinise the usage of this law are dismissed as bandwagon-jumpers who simply wish to capitalize on the media orgy against council surveillance.

This is why I brought a motion to Liberal Youth Conference in February that was passed unanimously to make restrictions on the legislation party policy; and Liberal Youth subsequently chose for it to go …

Posted in Big mad database, LDV campaigns, Local government, Op-eds | Also tagged database state, Local government, surveillance | Leave a comment

A small victory on council snooping

By Alix Mortimer | Published 18th April 2009 - 10:02 am

It’s not all bad news this week, though. Local councils’ use of surveillance powers, which have been notoriously misused to investigate offences like dog-fouling and lying about your school catchment area, must now be sanctioned by elected councillors “or senior officials”.

This is being headlined by some as a “ban” on snooping, but that’s not what it is. It’s at best a hopeful sign of increased accountability. My joy is guarded partly owing to the “senior officials” rider, and partly because the whole idea falls short of the Lib Dem proposal to require a magistrate’s

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Posted in News | Also tagged chris huhne | 1 Comment

Huhne attacks RIPA snoopers’ charter: “the Government’s surveillance society has got out of hand”

By The Voice | Published 17th April 2009 - 12:55 pm

Today’s Times reports:

Councils are to have their powers to snoop on the public severely curtailed. Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, will signal government plans today to reverse the expansion of the surveillance society amid growing alarm at the extent of official spying.

And not before time, for as the paper reports elsewhere:

A survey by the Liberal Democrats found that 182 of the 475 local authorities in England and Wales had authorised the use of Ripa [Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000] powers on 10,288 occasions in the past five years.

It found that 1,615 council staff have the

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Posted in Big mad database, LDV campaigns, News | Also tagged chris huhne, jacqui smith | 1 Comment

Taking action on RIPA – what Oldham has done

By The Voice | Published 3rd April 2009 - 9:20 am

From their press release:

STATEMENT RE: COUNCIL USE OF SURVEILLANCE LAWS

Councillor Howard Sykes, leader of Oldham Council said: “Following a recent review of the council’s use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, elected members are now consulted before the act is used in Oldham. This gives the council an additional level of oversight, something that most other council’s in the country do not do …

“During an inspection on 1 January 2009, by the Office of the Surveillance Commissioners, the government body appointed to oversee those allowed to commission surveillance, all of the council’s authorizations for surveillance were lawful.

“We will

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Posted in News | Also tagged civil liberties, howard sykes, oldham council | 2 Comments

Nine out of ten people spied on by local authorities are innocent

By Mark Pack | Published 27th March 2009 - 10:29 am

From today’s Daily Mail, following up the story about the widespread using of snooping powers by councils (as covered yesterday by Home Office Watch):

Nine in ten of 10,000 spied on by councils using anti-terrorism powers are innocent
The revelation intensified the controversy over local councils using anti-terror powers to spy on those suspected of ‘crimes’ such as putting their bins out on the wrong day.

The legislation, which allows secret filming and even the trailing of suspects by undercover officials, has been used by councils at least 10,333 times over the past five years…

Others targeted under the Regulation of Investigatory

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Posted in News | Also tagged daily mail, julia goldsworthy | 1 Comment

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