The Interception of Communications Act 1985 (1985 c. 56) was an
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It came into operation as of 10 April 1986.
The Act created the offence of unlawfully intercepting communications sent by post or by a "public telecommunications system"; those guilty were liable, on conviction, to a fine or up to two years imprisonment. It provided for a system of warrants to permit legal interception, and laid down cases where interception could be done lawfully, stating that having reasonable grounds to believe that the other party consented to interception was a defence.
The Act also established a complaints tribunal (which in 2000 was subsumed into the
Investigatory Powers Tribunal
In the United Kingdom, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) is a judicial body, independent of the British government, which hears complaints about surveillance by public bodies—in fact, "the only Tribunal to whom complaints about the Intel ...
), and created the post of
Interception of Communications Commissioner
The Interception of Communications Commissioner was a regulatory official in the United Kingdom, appointed under section 57 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and previously under section 8 of the Interception of Communications ...
to review the workings of the Act. It amended parts of the
Telecommunications Act 1984
The Telecommunications Act 1984 (c 12) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The rules for the industry are now contained in the Communications Act 2003.
Provisions
The provisions of the act included the followi ...
.
This Act has since been repealed by schedule 1 of the
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 ( c.23) (RIP or RIPA) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation, and covering the interception of comm ...
.
See also
*
Secrecy of correspondence
__NOTOC__
The secrecy of correspondence (german: Briefgeheimnis, french: secret de la correspondance) or literally translated as secrecy of letters, is a fundamental legal principle enshrined in the constitutions of several European countries. It ...
*''
Malone v UK
''Malone v United Kingdom'' 984ECHR 10is a UK constitutional law case, concerning the rule of law.
Facts
James Malone, an antique dealer in Dorking, claimed that intercepting his telephone conversations, on authority of a warrant by the Secreta ...
''
*
United Kingdom constitutional law
The United Kingdom constitutional law concerns the governance of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. With the oldest continuous political system on Earth, the British constitution is not contained in a single code but princ ...
References
* ''Whitaker's Almanack: for the year 1987'', complete edition, p. 363. J. Whitaker & Sons, London, 1986
Sections of the ''Interception of Communications Act 1985'' as passed
United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1985
Telecommunications in the United Kingdom
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