Liberty and others vs. GCHQ and others

Paul Bernal

Citation: Paul Bernal, Liberty and others vs. GCHQ and others, in: Jusletter IT 25-September-2015

In February 2015, the UK’s Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled that data sharing systems between the US and UK intelligence services had been unlawful from their inception until December 2014, when key disclosures about them were made. The deceptively simple ruling revealed a great deal about the processes and systems that govern surveillance in the UK, about the strength of the oversight systems, and about the need for reform of both the law and the enforcement of that law. This piece analyses the case in the context of a new atmosphere and environment surrounding surveillance law in the UK: fitting it within a bigger pattern where more transparency is being demanded and more accountability is required.