CHAPTER 6: POWERS AND SAFEGUARDS
(e)
The IPT has the power to appoint a counsel to the Tribunal, who may hear the
closed evidence and argue the case on behalf of the ‘privacy’ interests in issue.
That stands in contrast to the special advocate regime in place for the Special
Immigration Appeals Court.126
The Intelligence and Security Committee
6.112. The ISC is, as the name suggests, the parliamentary body tasked with providing
oversight of the use of investigatory powers by the security and intelligence agencies
(though not by other public authorities). It is a cross-party Committee, and its members
are drawn from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.127
6.113. It was recently reformed by the Justice and Security Act 2013 [JSA 2013].128 This
made the ISC a full committee of Parliament for the first time, granted the ISC the
freedom to choose its own chair, gave it greater powers and increased its remit. It
now oversees the operational activity and wider intelligence and security activities of
the Government. However, it is not responsible for reviewing ongoing and current
operations being conducted by the agencies. The ISC’s reports are submitted in the
first place to the Prime Minister, who may redact any matters he considers should not
be published.
126
127
128
On the role of the counsel to the tribunal, see the Liberty IPT Case, judgment of 5 December 2014, paras
8-10.
JSA 2013 s1(2).
Sections 1-4 and Schedule 1.
123