BIG BROTHER WATCH AND OTHERS v. THE UNITED KINGDOM JUDGMENT
1
In the case of Big Brother Watch and Others v. the United Kingdom,
The European Court of Human Rights (First Section), sitting as a
Chamber composed of:
Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos, President,
Kristina Pardalos,
Aleš Pejchal,
Ksenija Turković,
Armen Harutyunyan,
Pauliine Koskelo,
Tim Eicke, judges,
and Abel Campos, Section Registrar,
Having deliberated in private on 7 November 2017 and 3 July 2018,
Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on the
last-mentioned date:
PROCEDURE
1. The case originated in three applications (nos. 58170/13, 62322/14
and 24960/15) against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”)
by the companies, charities, organisations and individuals listed in the
Appendix (“the applicants”) on 4 September 2013, 11 September 2014 and
20 May 2015 respectively.
2. The applicants were represented by Mr D. Carey, of Deighton Pierce
Glynn Solicitors; Ms R. Curling of Leigh Day and Co. Solicitors; and
Ms E. Norton of Liberty. The Government of the United Kingdom (“the
Government”) were represented by their Agent, Ms R. Sagoo of the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office.
3. The applicants complained about the scope and magnitude of the
electronic surveillance programmes operated by the Government of the
United Kingdom.
4. The applications were communicated to the Government on 7 January
2014, 5 January 2015 and 24 November 2015. In the first case, leave to
intervene was granted to Human Rights Watch, Access Now, Bureau
Brandeis, Center For Democracy & Technology, European Network of
National Human Rights Institutions and the Equality and Human Rights
Commission, the Helsinki Foundation For Human Rights, the International
Commission of Jurists, Open Society Justice Initiative, The Law Society of
England and Wales and Project Moore; in the second case, to the Center For
Democracy & Technology, the Helsinki Foundation For Human Rights, the
International Commission of Jurists, the National Union of Journalists and