The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA)
What is RIPA?
One of the functions of the Authority is to carry out regulatory activities
under fire safety legislation. These functions give to the officers involved
powers and rights for example to require production of documents, to enter
premises and inspect goods.
Officers of the Authority also investigate hoax 999 calls and other criminal
activity. On some occasions it may also be appropriate for the Authority to
conduct investigations in respect of its own employees and others to prevent or
detect crime.
These powers are:
- Interception of communications
- Acquisition of communications data
- Direct3ed covert surveillance in respect of specific operations
- Use of covert intelligence sources (informants etc)
- Access to encrypted data
To balance these powers and rights there are controls in place to prevent any
abuse of these powers and to ensure that any such powers are used fairly, in
accordance with the law.
Surveillance can be a necessary and valuable tool. RIPA controls its use and
ensures that investigatory powers are used in accordance with human rights.
Compliance with the letter and spirit of the Act and associated Code of Practice
will ensure that the Authority performs its regulatory functions in a manner
appropriate to a public authority and as a responsible employer.
How do I make a complaint?
The Authority hopes that the RIPA controls provide effective assurance that it
is behaving lawfully and responsibly. If you consider that these powers are not
being used lawfully please contact the Authority’s Senior Responsible Officer
(RIPA), Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority,. Legal Services, Bridle Road
Bootle L30 4YD.
If you wish to make a formal complaint the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) can
deal with this.
The IPT can investigate any event that you believe has taken place against you,
your property or your communications as long as it related to the powers held
under RIPA (as above).
If you believe that you have a complaint or a Human Rights claim you should
contact the IPT whose details are given below:
The Investigatory Powers Tribunal
PO Box 33220
London
SW1H 9ZQ
Email: info@ipt-uk.com
Telephone: 0207 035 3711