Summary
The creation of this Privy Council Review, 'Privy Council Review of Intercept as Evidence: Report to the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary'
(Cm. 7324), was announced on 25 July 2007 to 'advise on whether a regime to allow the use of intercepted material in court can be devised that facilitates bringing cases to trial while meeting the overriding imperative to safeguard national security'.
All bodies and individuals that met with or provided evidence to the Review were in favour in principle of intercept as evidence. However there were very different views as to whether national security could be safeguarded effectively.
The Review concludes that intercept as evidence should be introduced. It believes that it would be possible to provide for the use of intercept as evidence in criminal trials in England and Wales by developing a robust legal model based in statute and compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. A model - PII Plus (PII = Public Interest Immunity) - is suggested as the basis and the Review outlines further preparatory work and confidence-building measures necessary to develop a detailed regime.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has since told MPs that detailed plans would be drawn up to implement the report findings as soon as possible. The Review has been welcomed by Conservative leader David Cameron.
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