2013 Annual Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner
Figure 1 Total Number of Interception Warrants Authorised 2011-13
3500
3000
3372
2911
2760
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
2011
2012
2013
Year
on 2012. The total number of warrants extant on 31 December 2013 was 1669. These
numbers generally show, as is the fact, that numerous warrants do not run for longer
than a number of months.
Inspection Regime
3.29 Objectives of Inspections. The primary objectives of our inspections are to
ensure:
•
•
•
that the systems in place for the interception of communications are sufficient
for the purposes of the Part I Chapter I and that all relevant records have been
kept;
that all interception has been carried out lawfully and in accordance with Part
I Chapter I and its associated Code of Practice; and,
that any “errors” are reported to me and that the systems are reviewed and
adapted where any weaknesses or faults are exposed.
3.30 Number of Inspections. I have since I was appointed personally undertaken
a full programme of interception agency inspections. I have inspected each of the 9
interception agencies authorised to apply for interception warrants at approximately six
monthly intervals, that is twice each during 2013.
3.31 The first series of inspections was in the Spring and early Summer. They mainly
followed the pattern established by Sir Paul Kennedy, my predecessor, as described in his
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