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The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act was introduced in 2000 to give police and other bodies the power to carry out surveillance on those suspected of involvement in serious crime or terrorism. Since its introduction, there has been much anger that some local councils have used the powers for things quite unrelated to those the legislation was meant to cover.
Yesterday the Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled that a family put under surveillance by Poole Borough Council, who merely wanted to check that a family lived in a primary school catchment area, was unlawful.
The present government is reviewing the use of surveillance powers as part of its Counter Terror Review but, in the meantime, the Tribunal’s decision will send a warning to other councils who abuse the legislation.
Commenting on the Poole case, the Housing Minister was correct when he said, ‘Town halls are not the secret service or the police, but surveillance powers designed to tackle terror and the most serious crimes have been over-used and misused.’
Many of us feel that we are being over-watched and so any move to curb the sort of powers used by Poole Borough Council is to be heartily welcomed. That they even thought of using RIPA in this case is nothing less than a disgrace.
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The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act was introduced in 2000 to give police and other bodies the power to carry out surveillance on those suspected of involvement in serious crime or terrorism. Since its introduction, there has been much anger that some local councils have used the powers for things quite unrelated to those the legislation was meant to cover.
Yesterday the Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled that a family put under surveillance by Poole Borough Council, who merely wanted to check that a family lived in a primary school catchment area, was unlawful.
The present government is reviewing the use of surveillance powers as part of its Counter Terror Review but, in the meantime, the Tribunal’s decision will send a warning to other councils who abuse the legislation.
Commenting on the Poole case, the Housing Minister was correct when he said, ‘Town halls are not the secret service or the police, but surveillance powers designed to tackle terror and the most serious crimes have been over-used and misused.’
Many of us feel that we are being over-watched and so any move to curb the sort of powers used by Poole Borough Council is to be heartily welcomed. That they even thought of using RIPA in this case is nothing less than a disgrace.
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