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MPs Tom Watson and David Davis have won a High Court battle challenging surveillance laws that allowed police and security services to “spy on citizens” without adequate safeguards. The court ruled that the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 was “inconsistent with EU law” and ordered that s 1 should be dis-applied. The Act was fast-tracked through Parliament last July, and allowed security agencies to gather information about who suspects contact by telephone and email. The court’s order was suspended until after 31 March 2016 to give Parliament time to reconsider data retention laws in the light of the ruling. The Home Secretary was given permission to appeal.
MPs Tom Watson and David Davis have won a High Court battle challenging surveillance laws that allowed police and security services to “spy on citizens” without adequate safeguards. The court ruled that the Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 was “inconsistent with EU law” and ordered that s 1 should be dis-applied. The Act was fast-tracked through Parliament last July, and allowed security agencies to gather information about who suspects contact by telephone and email. The court’s order was suspended until after 31 March 2016 to give Parliament time to reconsider data retention laws in the light of the ruling. The Home Secretary was given permission to appeal.
Chair of the Bar reflects on 2025
Q&A with criminal barrister Nick Murphy, who moved to New Park Court Chambers on the North Eastern Circuit in search of a better work-life balance
Revolt Cycling in Holborn, London’s first sustainable fitness studio, invites barristers to join the revolution – turning pedal power into clean energy
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, reflects on how the company’s Giving Back ethos continues to make a difference to communities across the UK
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
AlphaBiolabs has made a £500 donation to Sean’s Place, a men’s mental health charity based in Sefton, as part of its ongoing Giving Back initiative
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC present their best buys for this holiday season
Little has changed since Burns v Burns . Cohabiting couples deserve better than to be left on the blasted heath with the existing witch’s brew for another four decades, argues Christopher Stirling
Six months of court observation at the Old Bailey: APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan report their findings on prosecution practices under joint enterprise
Despite its prevalence, autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood in the criminal justice system. Does Alex Henry’s joint enterprise conviction expose the need to audit prisons? asks Dr Felicity Gerry KC
With automation now deeply embedded in the Department for Work Pensions, Alexander McColl and Alexa Thompson review what we know, what we don’t and avenues for legal challenge
