Covert Policing and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

(2010) 8 Archbold Review 3

Posted: 25 Jan 2015

See all articles by Benjamin J. Goold

Benjamin J. Goold

University of British Columbia - Faculty of Law

Date Written: September 4, 2010

Abstract

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the use of covert surveillance techniques by law enforcement agencies in United Kingdom. Despite this, we know little about the daily activities of officers engaged in covert operations or how those operations are authorised, monitored and subsequently reviewed. This article reports on a current project that examines how existing legislation designed to govern police surveillance — most notably, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000 — has affected the routine and extraordinary surveillance activities of the police. In addition to tracing the history and development of the legislation, the project also draws on direct observation of officers who plan, authorize and carry out covert operations. In so doing, this study hopes to make an important contribution to debates about an increasingly common feature of contemporary law enforcement and its regulation. The article begins with a discussion of covert policing in the UK, before going on to outline the project in further detail. Finally, we discuss some of the early findings that have emerged from the research, and their possible implications for the policy and practice of covert policing in the UK.

Keywords: surveillance, covert policing, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

Suggested Citation

Goold, Benjamin J., Covert Policing and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (September 4, 2010). (2010) 8 Archbold Review 3, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2554699

Benjamin J. Goold (Contact Author)

University of British Columbia - Faculty of Law ( email )

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