RIP s22 notices SI

[Owen Lewis]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> [mailto:ukcrypto-admin@chiark.greenend.org.uk]On Behalf Of Peter
> Mitchell
> Sent: 10 June 2002 15:05
> To: ukcrypto@chiark.greenend.org.uk
> Subject: Re: RIP s22 notices SI
>
>
> Owen Blacker wrote:
> >
> >
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > Sent: Monday, June 10, 2002 2:41 PM
> > > Subject: [mt] More RIP stuff
> > >
> > >
> > > The Home Office has laid an Order before Parliament (expected
> > > to be debated in the Common on 18 June, Lords TBA)
> > >
> > > http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2002/draft/20022322.htm
> > >
> > > It extends the list of public authorities that can issue RIP
> > > s22 notices (ie to access traffic data from telcos and ISPs)...
> > >
>
>
> ... to just about everybody except the Quakers and the Mothers' Union.
>
>
> > >
> > > The intent is to get this remarkable extension of scope into
> > > force on 1st August and switch on this part of the Act at
> > > that time. There's one order yet to come however - on which
> > > level of official will be able to authorise a s22 notice.
> > >
>
> An utterly disgraceful abuse of parliamentary process.
>
> Are there any ministers' statements we can dig out of Hansard showing
> they promised these powers would only be used by the police etc?

It is clearly the intention of this government to allow every government
office, national and local, and many QUANGOs access to whatever information
on an individual may be databased. You may also expect to see that the
authority to effect such accessed will be devolved to middle management
level. It would be nice to hear that any other of the political parties
would promise *never* to legislate so drastically and terminally to tilt the
balance between the individual and the power of the state. Sadly, I do not
think that any party will the slimmest chance of a majority is likely to
give such an undertaking.

We are not at the top of a slippery slope toward the entire subordination of
the individual to the state but started down that slope some while back.
Even now, only a minority of us have that queasy feeling in the pit of the
stomach as we pick up speed towards where we are headed. Can the headlong
slide be stopped? It would be nice to think so.

  Owen