Investigatory Powers Tribunal
The IPT is a judicial body which offers a route for redress for anyone who believes they have been the victim of unlawful action in our use of covert investigative techniques.
The Tribunal was established to ensure that the United Kingdom meets its obligations under Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states:
"Everyone whose rights and freedoms as set forth in this Convention are violated shall have an effective remedy before a national authority notwithstanding that the violation has been committed by persons acting in an official capacity."
The Tribunal is a judicial body which operates independently of government to provide a right of redress for anyone who believes they have been a victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniques. The Tribunal is also the appropriate forum to consider complaints about any conduct by or on behalf of the UK Intelligence Community, MI5, SIS and GCHQ, as well as claims alleging the infringement of human rights by those agencies. The Tribunal has a UK wide jurisdiction and there are no costs associated with making a complaint to the Tribunal.
The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 strengthened the provisions governing the Tribunal by providing a new right of appeal from decisions and determinations of the Tribunal in circumstances where there is a point of law that raises an important point of principle or practice, or where there is some other compelling reason for allowing an appeal.
