Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Use definition

What does Use mean? In legal practice, Use describes any act of dealing with information, materials, works, data or technology. It is usually a contractual umbrella term capturing a broad range of actions, commonly including to distribute, disclose, store, use, analyse, copy, reproduce, extract, modify or adapt, whether in whole or in part. Use is not generally fixed by statute; its scope turns on the wording of the relevant agreement and context. That said, it intersects with specific legal regimes. In intellectual property, “use” of a trade mark in the course of trade (UK Trade Marks Act 1994; Irish Trade Marks Act 1996) and the...

Investigatory Powers Tribunal (UK): jurisdiction, complaints, human rights claims, procedure, decisions, remedies and appeals under IPA 2016 and RIPA 2000

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes

For information on the overarching regime overseeing the Use of powers under the Investigatory Powers ACT 2016 (IPA 2016), see Practice Note: Scrutiny of intelligence gathering and the role of commissioners under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016.

What does the investigate?

The IPT has Jurisdiction to examine and resolve complaints relating to the conduct and deployment of covert surveillance by public authorities, including UK intelligence agencies.

Section 65(5) of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA 2000), as amended by IPA 2016, provides a detailed catalogue of what amounts to ‘conduct’ for the IPT’s purposes.

In essence, ‘conduct’ covers a public authority exercising covert surveillance powers under IPA 2016 or RIPA 2000, and any activity undertaken by or on behalf of the intelligence services.

By way of illustration, the IPT considers complaints about conduct by or for the police, the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). It is the only tribunal to which complaints about the intelligence services can be directed.

For the complete list of matters the IPT may hear, see RIPA 2000, s 65(5). Some of the complaints that the IPT may hear are described in RIPA 2000, section 65(5) and IPA 2016 above only...

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Richard Hanstock

Cornerstone Barristers

Richard is a public law barrister who enjoys applying the law to build and maintain sustainable communities. He advises and represents a wide range of public authorities, including local councils, government departments and police forces, as well as private individuals, companies and interest groups. Having volunteered as a police officer for 13 years, Richard is well-equipped to provide highly practical and realistic advice alongside robust and persuasive advocacy inside and outside court. He has extensive experience of managing anti-social behaviour, disorder within licensed premises and persistent breaches of planning control, supporting clients to navigate challenging legal landscapes to achieve a just outcome for communities, businesses and individuals. Richard is a deep specialist in the regulation of investigatory powers, including confiscation proceedings and police law. He is an expert in computer misuse and cyber security, building on his academic research on denial of service attacks at the...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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