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Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Act 2000

Type Act of the Scottish Parliament

Publication 2000-09-28

State In force

Jurisdiction Scotland

Department Statute Law Database

Source legislation.gov.uk

Reform history JSON API

Introductory

Conduct to which this Act applies

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(1) This Act applies to the following conduct—

(a) directed surveillance;

(b) intrusive surveillance; and

(2) For the purposes of this Act surveillance is directed if it is covert but not intrusive and is undertaken—

(a) for the purposes of a specific investigation or a specific operation;

(b) in such a manner as is likely to result in the obtaining of private information about a person (whether or not one specifically identified for the purposes of the investigation or operation); and

(c) otherwise than by way of an immediate response to events or circumstances the nature of which is such that it would not be reasonably practicable for an authorisation under this Act to be sought for the carrying out of the surveillance.

(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5) below, surveillance is intrusive for the purposes of this Act if, and only if, it is covert surveillance that—

(a) is carried out in relation to anything taking place on any residential premises or in any private vehicle; and

(b) involves the presence of an individual on the premises or in the vehicle or is carried out by means of a surveillance device.

(4) For the purposes of this Act surveillance is not intrusive to the extent that it is carried out by means only of a surveillance device designed or adapted principally for the purpose of providing information about the location of a vehicle.

(5) For the purposes of this Act surveillance which—

(a) is carried out by means of a surveillance device in relation to anything taking place on any residential premises or in any private vehicle; but

(b) is carried out without that device being present on the premises or in the vehicle,

is not intrusive unless the device is such that it consistently provides information of the same quality and detail as might be expected to be obtained from a device actually present on the premises or in the vehicle.

(6) In this Act—

(a) references to the conduct of a covert human intelligence source are references to any conduct of such a source which falls within any of paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (7) below, or is incidental to anything falling within any of those paragraphs; and

(b) references to the use of a covert human intelligence source are references to inducing, asking or assisting a person to engage in the conduct of such a source, or to obtain information by means of the conduct of such a source.

(7) For the purposes of this Act a person is a covert human intelligence source if the person—

(a) establishes or maintains a personal or other relationship with another person for the covert purpose of facilitating the doing of anything falling within paragraph (b) or (c) below;

(b) covertly uses such a relationship to obtain information or to provide access to any information to another person; or

(c) covertly discloses information obtained by the use of such a relationship or as a consequence of the existence of such a relationship.

(8) For the purposes of this section—

(a) surveillance is covert if, and only if, it is carried out in a manner that is calculated to ensure that persons who are subject to the surveillance are unaware that it is or may be taking place;

(b) a purpose is covert, in relation to the establishment or maintenance of a personal or other relationship, if and only if the relationship is conducted in a manner that is calculated to ensure that one of the parties to the relationship is unaware of the purpose; and

(c) a relationship is used covertly, and information obtained as mentioned in subsection (7)(c) above is disclosed covertly, if and only if it is used or, as the case may be, disclosed in a manner that is calculated to ensure that one of the parties to the relationship is unaware of the use or disclosure in question.

(9) In this section “private information”, in relation to a person, includes any information relating to the person’s private or family life.

(10) References in this section, in relation to a vehicle, to the presence of a surveillance device in the vehicle include references to its being located on or under the vehicle and also include references to its being attached to it.

Judicial Commissioners

Surveillance Commissioners

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(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(9) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(10) The decisions of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner or, subject to section 16 below, any other Judicial Commissioner (including decisions as to jurisdiction) shall not be subject to appeal or liable to be questioned in any court.

Assistant Surveillance Commissioners

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Delegation of Commissioner’s functions

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Authorisation of surveillance and human intelligence sources

Lawful surveillance etc

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(1) Conduct to which this Act applies shall be lawful for all purposes if—

(a) an authorisation under this Act confers an entitlement to engage in that conduct on the person whose conduct it is; and

(b) that person’s conduct is in accordance with the authorisation.

(2) A person shall not be subject to any civil liability in respect of any conduct of that person which—

(a) is incidental to any conduct that is lawful by virtue of subsection (1) above; and

(b) is not itself conduct an authorisation or warrant for which is capable of being granted under a relevant enactment and might reasonably have been expected to have been sought in the case in question.

(3) In this section “relevant enactment” means—

(a) an enactment contained in this Act;

(aa) an enactment contained in Part 5 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (equipment interference) so far as relating to the Police Service; or

(b) an enactment contained in Part III of the Police Act 1997 (c.50) (authorisation of interference with property and wireless telegraphy) insofar as relating to the Police Service.

Authorisation of directed surveillance

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(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, the persons designated for the purposes of this section shall each have power to grant authorisations for the carrying out of directed surveillance.

(2) A person shall not grant an authorisation for the carrying out of directed surveillance unless that person is satisfied—

(a) that the authorisation is necessary on grounds falling within subsection (3) below; and

(b) that the authorised surveillance is proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by carrying it out.

(3) An authorisation is necessary on grounds falling within this subsection if it is necessary—

(a) for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime or of preventing disorder;

(b) in the interests of public safety; or

(4) The conduct that is authorised by an authorisation for the carrying out of directed surveillance is any conduct that—

(a) consists in the carrying out of directed surveillance of any such description as is specified in the authorisation; and

(b) is carried out in the circumstances described in the authorisation and for the purposes of the investigation or operation specified or described in the authorisation.

Authorisation of covert human intelligence sources

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(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, the persons designated for the purposes of this section shall each have power to grant authorisations for the conduct or the use of a covert human intelligence source.

(2) A person shall not grant an authorisation for the conduct or the use of a covert human intelligence source unless that person is satisfied—

(a) that the authorisation is necessary on grounds falling within subsection (3) below;

(b) that the authorised conduct or use is proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by that conduct or use; and

(c) that arrangements exist for the source’s case that satisfy the requirements of subsection (6) below and such other requirements as may be imposed by order made by the Scottish Ministers.

(3) An authorisation is necessary on grounds falling within this subsection if it is necessary—

(a) for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime or of preventing disorder;

(b) in the interests of public safety; or

(4) The Scottish Ministers may by order—

(a) prohibit the authorisation under this section of any such conduct or uses of covert human intelligence sources as may be described in the order; and

(b) impose requirements, in addition to those provided for by subsection (2) above, that must be satisfied before an authorisation is granted under this section for any such conduct or uses of covert human intelligence sources as may be described.

(5) The conduct that is authorised by an authorisation for the conduct or the use of a covert human intelligence source is any conduct that—

(a) is comprised in any such activities involving conduct of a covert human intelligence source, or the use of a covert human intelligence source, as are specified or described in the authorisation;

(b) consists in conduct by or in relation to the person who is so specified or described as the person to whose actions as a covert human intelligence source the authorisation relates; and

(6) For the purposes of this Act there are arrangements for the source’s case that satisfy the requirements of this subsection if such arrangements are in force as are necessary for ensuring—

(a) that there will at all times be a person holding an office, rank or position with the relevant investigating authority who will have day-to-day responsibility for dealing with the source on behalf of that authority, and for the source’s security and welfare;

(b) that there will at all times be another person holding an office, rank or position with the relevant investigating authority who will have general oversight of the use made of the source;

(c) that there will at all times be a person holding an office, rank or position with the relevant investigating authority who will have responsibility for maintaining a record of the use made of the source;

(d) that the records relating to the source that are maintained by the relevant investigating authority will always contain particulars of all such matters (if any) as may be specified for the purposes of this paragraph in regulations made by the Scottish Ministers; and

(e) that records maintained by the relevant investigating authority that disclose the identity of the source will not be available to persons except to the extent that there is a need for access to them to be made available to those persons.

(7) In this section “relevant investigating authority”, in relation to an authorisation for the conduct or the use of an individual as a covert human intelligence source, means (subject to subsection (8) below) the public authority for whose benefit the activities of that individual as such a source are to take place.

(8) In the case of any authorisation for the conduct or the use of a covert human intelligence source whose activities are to be for the benefit of more than one public authority, the references in subsection (6) above to the relevant investigating authority are references to one of them (whether or not the same one in the case of each reference).

Persons entitled to grant authorisations under sections 6 and 7

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(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, the persons designated for the purposes of sections 6 and 7 above are the individuals holding such offices, ranks or positions with relevant public authorities as are prescribed for the purposes of this subsection by order made by the Scottish Ministers.

(2) The Scottish Ministers may by order impose restrictions—

(a) on the authorisations under sections 6 and 7 above that may be granted by any individual holding an office, rank or position with a specified public authority; and

(b) on the circumstances in which, or the purposes for which, such authorisations may be granted by any such individual.

(3) A public authority is a relevant public authority for the purposes of this section in relation to sections 6 and 7 above if it is—

(aa) the Police Service;

(b) the Scottish Administration;

(ca) the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner;

(d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(f) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(h) the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

(i) the Common Services Agency for the Scottish Health Service.

(4) The Scottish Ministers may by order amend subsection (3) above by—

(a) adding a public authority to those enumerated in that subsection;

(b) removing a public authority therefrom;

(5) No order shall be made under subsection (4)(a) above unless it has been laid in draft before and approved by resolution of the Scottish Parliament.

Special provision for the Scottish Crime Squad

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Authorisation of intrusive surveillance

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(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, any of the persons mentioned in subsection (1A) may grant authorisations for the carrying out of intrusive surveillance.

(1A) Those persons are—

(a) the chief constable of the Police Service and any other senior officer of the Police Service who is designated by the chief constable for the purposes of this section,

(aa) the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner;

(b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) No such authorisation shall be granted unless the person granting it is satisfied—

(a) that the authorisation is necessary for the purpose of preventing or detecting serious crime; and

(b) that the authorised surveillance is proportionate to what is sought to be achieved by carrying it out.

(3) The matters to be taken into account in considering whether the requirements of subsection (2) above are satisfied in the case of any authorisation shall include whether the information which it is thought necessary to obtain by the authorised conduct could reasonably be obtained by other means.

(4) The conduct that is authorised by an authorisation for the carrying out of intrusive surveillance is any conduct that—

(a) consists in the carrying out of intrusive surveillance of any such description as is specified in the authorisation;

(b) is carried out in relation to the residential premises specified or described in the authorisation or in relation to the private vehicle so specified or described; and

Rules for grant of authorisations

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(1) A person who is a designated person for the purposes of section 6 or 7 above by reference to the office, rank or position with the Police Service held by that person shall not grant an authorisation under that section except on an application made by a constable of the Police Service.

(2) An authorisation for the carrying out of intrusive surveillance shall not be granted by the chief constable or any other senior officer of the Police Service except on an application by a constable of the Police Service.

(2A) The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner shall not grant an authorisation for the carrying out of intrusive surveillance except—

(a) on an application by one of the Commissioner's staff officers; and

(b) where the intrusive surveillance is to be carried out in relation to an investigation carried out in pursuance of paragraph (b)(i) of section 33A of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006.

(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) A single authorisation may combine both—

(a) an authorisation granted under this Act —

(i) by, or on the application of, a constable of the Police Service; and

(ii) by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner; or

(iii) by, or on the application of, a staff officer of the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner

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