IPCO Annual Report 2017
Letter to the Prime Minister
The Rt Hon. Theresa May MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London
SW1A 2AA
December 2018
Dear Prime Minister,
I enclose my first Annual Report covering the work of the three precursor organisations, namely the
Office of the Surveillance Commissioners (OSC), the Interception of Communications Commissioner’s
Office (IOCCO) and the Intelligence Service Commissioner (ISComm), from 1 January 2017 until
31 August 2017, and the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) from 1 September until
31 December 2017.
I have continued the tradition of writing the Report in two parts. The Confidential Annex contains
details, including techniques and operational matters, which should not be published for reasons
of national security.
It is for you to determine, after consultation with me, how much of this open report should be
published without releasing any material which would be contrary to the public interest, or
prejudicial to national security, to the prevention or detection of serious crime, to the economic
wellbeing of the United Kingdom, or to the discharge of the functions of those public authorities
subject to my review.
I wish to pay tribute to the fine work undertaken by the three bodies who preceded IPCO and to the
last Commissioners who led them: Lord Judge (OSC), Sir Mark Waller, succeeded by Sir John Goldring
(ISComm) and Sir Stanley Burnton (IOCCO). They provided the critical foundations for the creation of
IPCO and what I hope will be the successful oversight of investigatory powers.
Yours sincerely
The Rt Hon. Lord Justice Fulford
The Investigatory Powers Commissioner
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