Investigatory Powers Act 2016
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Territorial extent | England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 29 November 2016 |
| Other legislation | |
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Status: Current legislation
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| Text of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (nicknamed the Snoopers' Charter or Snooper's Charter) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that has been passed by both Houses of Parliament, and the Queen signified her royal assent to the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 on 29 November 2016. It went into force on December 30, 2016. The Act aims to expand the powers of the UK Intelligence Community.
In 2014 the UK government asked the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to review the operation and regulation of investigatory powers available to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, in particular the interception of communications and communications data. This report was published in June 2015 and recommended a new law to clarify these powers.
The Draft Investigatory Powers Bill was published in November 2015, and a Joint Committee of the House of Commons and House of Lords was established to scrutinise the draft bill. Some parts of the bill referring to bulk personal datasets came into effect in November 2015, before parliamentary scrutiny began. The Joint Committee published its pre-legislative scrutiny report in March 2016. The Government accepted a number of its recommendations, and the revised bill was introduced in the House of Commons, where it was subject to debate by Members of Parliament. In March 2016 the House of Commons passed the Investigatory Powers Bill on its second reading by 281 votes to 15, moving the bill to the committee stage. The Labour Party and Scottish National Party abstained from the vote, while the Liberal Democrats voted against it.
At the committee stage constitutional, technology, and human rights issues were examined. The Chair of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Harriet Harman said:
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