Investigatory Powers Bill

Investigatory Powers Act 2016

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Introduced by	Theresa May, as Home Secretary The Earl Howe, as Dep. Ldr (Lords)
Territorial extent	England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	29 November 2016
Other legislation
Amends	Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Terrorism Act 2006 Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 Serious Crime Act 2007 Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 Policing and Crime Act 2009 Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 Health and Social Care Act 2012 Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Act 2014 Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 Serious Crime Act 2015
Status: Current legislation
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) 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. Its different parts come into force on various dates from 30 December 2016. The Act comprehensively sets out and in limited respects expands the electronic surveillance powers of the UK Intelligence Community and police. It also aims to improve the safeguards on the exercise of those powers.

In 2014 the UK government asked David Anderson, 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, and to recommend change. 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, with a large number of accompanying documents, 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 the vast majority of its 198 recommendations, together with the recommendations of two other parliamentary committees that had scrutinised the draft Bill, 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.