Charles Clarke strikes back

[Yaman Akdeniz]

Charles Clarke's letter to The Telegraph:   
12 July 2000  

Your correspondents concern about the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill is 
ill founded.  The Bill is an important one which does not substantially increase the 
powers available to the law enforcement and security agencies but will make the 
UK a better and safer place to live for all. 

We need to ensure that vicious crimes such as drug dealing, people smuggling, 
money laundering and paedophilia are aggressively and effectively contested.  
Particularly, the allegation that the oversight and authorisation measures are wholly 
inadequate is badly wrong. 

The Bill is drafted tightly specifically to ensure that the use of all the powers is 
controlled and regulated with full regard to the European Convention on Human 
Rights. That is one of the primary drivers of the Bill. Considerable care has been 
taken to ensure that the Bill is ECHR compliant.  

I believe all the serious commentators with whom we have engaged recognise the 
importance of and necessity for such a Bill. We have made some significant 
changes during its Parliamentary passage precisely because we know we have to 
work in partnership with industry to ensure the Bill has the right kind of impact. 
We are committed to continuing and developing that partnership regardless of the 
concerns printed on your pages.  

Charles Clarke 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Yaman Akdeniz,
Director, Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)
URL: http://www.cyber-rights.org
E-mail: lawya@cyber-rights.org
Tel: +44 (0)498 865116

Read the CR&CL (UK) Reports at:
http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~