ELIZABETH II

c.56

Interception of
Communications Act 1985
1985 CHAPTER 56

An Act to make new provision for and in connection with
the interception of communications sent by post or by
means of public telecommunication systems and to
amend section 45 of the Telecommunications Act 1984.
[25th July 1985]
IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and
with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament
assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:BE

1.-Q) Subject to the following provisions of this section, a Prohibition an
person who intentionally intercepts a communication in the interception.
course of its transmission by post or by means of a public tele.
communication system shall be guilty of an offence and liable(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the
statutory maximum ;
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both.
(2)

A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this

section
(a)

if-

the communication is intercepted in obedience to a
warrant issued by the Secretary of State under section 2
below ; or

1

Select target paragraph3