2013 Annual Report of the Interception of Communications Commissioner
5.6
Sensitivity requirements. There are, as any reader will understand, unavoidable
statutory restrictions on the extent to which I can lawfully publish details in relation to the
interception of communications. In particular, I am (with others) subject to the Official
Secrets Act 1989 and section 19 of RIPA 2000. Section 19 imposes a duty to keep secret
the existence, content and details of interception warrants, everything in intercepted
material and related communications data and related matters. Contravention of the
statutory provisions is a criminal offence.
5.7
These are restrictions imposed by Parliament. They mean that I am not able to
confirm or reject publicly parts of the detail said to derive from Snowden allegations. A
reader should not draw any inference one way or the other in this respect from what I
do say. However, as will I trust appear, I am able to address matters of concern in a way
which I hope will be helpful.
5.8
There is not the same specific statutory restriction in relation to communications
data, although I must be careful not to publish matters whose disclosure would be
contrary to the public interest.
5.9
The findings of my investigations into the subject matter of these disclosures are
detailed throughout this report. I consider a number of publicly expressed questions of
concern in so far as they relate to RIPA 2000 Part I matters in the following section of this
report.
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