Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

authorities definition

What does authorities mean? Authorities are the legal sources a lawyer relies on to justify a proposition of law in submissions, skeleton arguments and judgments. The term is descriptive and widely used across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, rather than being defined by statute. Authorities typically include: primary legislation and subordinate legislation; binding appellate case law within the relevant jurisdiction; and, as persuasive material, decisions from other UK or foreign courts, tribunal rulings, EU and ECHR jurisprudence where applicable, and reputable academic commentary. In Scotland, the writings of the institutional writers (e.g. Stair, Erskine, Bell) may carry particular weight. Textbooks and...

Local authority covert surveillance, CHIS and communications data: powers, authorisation, oversight and CCTV governance under IPA 2016, RIPA 2000 and PFA 2012 (England and Wales)

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA 2016) reshaped the statutory regime governing covert surveillance by public bodies, a regime that was largely, though not entirely, contained in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA 2000). Local authorities hold powers under both IPA 2016 and RIPA 2000. In addition, the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal conduct) Act 2021 allows certain public authorities to authorise criminal conduct by covert human intelligence sources. For more detail, see News Analysis: Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021.

Surveillance powers available to authorities

The acquisition and Disclosure of Communications data (such as telephone billing information or subscriber details)
Directed surveillance (covert surveillance of individuals in public places)
Covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) (for example, the deployment of undercover officers)

Local authorities employ covert methods to support their statutory functions when enforcing the law in relation to environmental crime; consumer scams; loan sharks; taxi cab regulation; underage sales of knives, alcohol, solvents and tobacco; and the employment of minors...

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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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