"Tipping-off" revisited

[Nicholas Bohm]

At 13:30 08/03/2001 -0000, Q G Campbell wrote:
>I noted with interest the signature line of Owen's recent posting
>(see below) with its anti-RIPA measure. 
> 
>The list exhaustively canvassed views on the likely effectiveness of
>this means of "tipping-off" and avoiding the commission of an offence
>under s.54 of RIPA.
> 
>I recall at the time that the Home Office offered words of reassurance
>on this point. However I have found nothing in the Act itself that
>prevents the secrecy provision in a s.49 notice specifically precluding
>the revocation of a certificate.

Revoking a key does not reveal anything the Act can require you to keep
secret.  This has always been the case, and no other words were ever needed
to produce this result.  I don't think any of the lawyers on the list has
ever thought otherwise.

Revoking a key may of course provoke enquiries which cannot be truthfully
answered, or may lead directly to inferences.  None of that alters the
original conclusion.

>Common sense says that any LEA monitoring Owen's mail will have spotted
>the device in his messages and would seek to neutralise it should they
>ever serve a s.49 notice on him which they wanted to keep secret.
>
>Have there been any further developments regarding this issue? Has there
>been any new statement from the HO about the content and scope of a
>"secrecy provision" in a s.49 notice?
>
>   
>Quentin
>--
>PHONE: +44 191 222 8209    Computing Service, University of Newcastle
>FAX:   +44 191 222 8765    Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE1 7RU.
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>"Any opinions expressed above are mine. The University can get its own."
>     
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Owen Blacker [mailto:owen.blacker@wheel.co.uk]
>> Sent: 08 March 2001 10:31
>> To: 'ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk'
>> Subject: Translation: RE: FRANCE WORRIED BY PERKINS CASE 
>> 
>> [much snipped from here]
>> 
>> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
>> Version: PGP 7.0
>> Comment: Due to RIP, pls check for revocation before using this key!
>> 
>> iQA/AwUBOqdfR1VeQSYAA2h0EQKcwwCg7kugVqSQ8muOIX3jHCxQhGbZtzQAoIAK
>> EgM52fPGyv7CMPf6/Yj/M7Gs
>> =CcJl
>> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
> 
>
>
>
>
Regards

Nicholas

Salkyns, Great Canfield,
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PGP RSA 1024 bit public key ID: 0x08340015.  Fingerprint:
9E 15 FB 2A 54 96 24 37  98 A2 E0 D1 34 13 48 07
PGP DSS/DH 1024/3072 public key ID: 0x899DD7FF.  Fingerprint:
5248 1320 B42E 84FC 1E8B  A9E6 0912 AE66 899D D7FF