Unauthorised Tapping Into Or Hacking Of Mobile Communications

The Commons Home Affairs Committee "deplores" News International's attempt to "deliberately thwart" the original investigation into phone hacking in 2005-06 but also states that the police set aside a huge amount of material that could have identified other perpetrators and victims. The committee agrees with John Yates's own assessment that his 2009 review of this investigation was "very poor", that he did not ask the right questions and that he was guilty of a "serious misjudgement". The committee criticises Andy Hayman's cavalier attitude towards his contacts with those in News International who were under investigation which, even if entirely above board, risked seriously undermining confidence in the impartiality of the police, and accuses him of deliberate prevarication in order to mislead the committee. It urges the swift and thorough investigation of allegations that payments were made to police officers by the media, which will help to establish whether or not such payments may have influenced police inquiries into phone hacking. The committee welcomes DAC Sue Akers's decision to contact all potential victims of phone hacking by the News of the World as part of the current investigation, but is alarmed that only 170 have as yet been informed. At this rate it would take years to inform all of the several thousands of people potentially affected. The committee therefore recommends that extra resources are allocated to her investigation, by the Government directly if necessary. The committee also expresses concern about both the scope and understanding of current laws on phone hacking, with prosecutors and police still arguing over the meaning of relevant sections of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. However, this was no reason for the Metropolitan Police to limit their investigation of these matters. Finally, potential victims of phone hacking should be given a means of seeking formal advice from the Information Commissioner and easier access to redress. The Information Commissioner should be given additional powers to deal with breaches of data protection, including phone hacking and blagging. Mobile phone companies should give greater prominence to security advice in the information provided to their customers. The report sets out 24 conclusions and recommendations.

Dated September 2011. Response to HC 907, session 2010-12 (ISBN 9780215562005)

The Commons Home Affairs Committee deplores News International's attempt to deliberately thwart the original investigation into phone hacking in 2005-06 but also states that the police set aside a huge amount of material that could have identified other perpetrators and victims. The committee agrees with John Yates's own assessment that his 2009 review of this investigation was very poor, that he did not ask the right questions and that he was guilty of a serious misjudgement. The committee criticises Andy Hayman's cavalier attitude towards his contacts with those in News International who were under investigation which, even if entirely above board, risked seriously undermining confidence in the impartiality of the police, and accuses him of deliberate prevarication in order to mislead the committee. It urges the swift and thorough investigation of allegations that payments were made to police officers by the media, which will help to establish whether or not such payments may have influenced police inquiries into phone hacking.The committee welcomes DAC Sue Akers's decision to contact all potential victims of phone hacking by the News of the World as part of the current investigation, but is alarmed that only 170 have as yet been informed. At this rate it would take years to inform all of the several thousands of people potentially affected. The committee therefore recommends that extra resources are allocated to her investigation, by the Government directly if necessary. The committee also expresses concern about both the scope and understanding of current laws on phone hacking, with prosecutors and police still arguing over the meaning of relevant sections of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. However, this was no reason for the Metropolitan Police to limit their investigation of these matters. Finally, potential victims of phone hacking should be given a means of seeking formal advice from the Information Commissioner and easier access to redress. The Information Commissioner should be given additional powers to deal with breaches of data protection, including phone hacking and blagging.Mobile phone companies should give greater prominence to security advice in the information provided to their customers. The report sets out 24 conclusions and recommendations.

Select committees are generally faced by those at the very top of their game: high-flying CEOs, powerful executives and industry experts. Why, then, do the very words send shivers down the spines of even our most senior representatives? Perhaps it is the unblinking eye of the television cameras, the hawkish interrogation of the committee chair or simply the knowledge of those Goliaths who have fallen before. After twenty years of advising big-name clients on how to take on this gruelling ordeal, Scott Colvin argues that it needn't be this way. Based on interviews with those on the front line, he offers a fresh perspective on how the process could be improved for committee members and witnesses alike. Steeped in exclusive inside knowledge and expert tips, and with a step-by-step manual on how to prepare for a hearing, this is the essential guide to not only surviving but thriving in the hot seat.

Recent events involving Boko Haram, Al-Shabab and Al Qaeda show that the terrorist threat to the UK is as grave as at any point in the past thirteen years. Interpol have the resources and experience to build a platform and the UK must take the lead in bringing others to the table. However, ensuring public safety cannot be the sole purview of the counterterrorism command and the security service, it is a responsibility in which all UK citizens and companies take a share. Stopping British men and women going to become foreign fighters, in Syria and other theatres of conflict, and engaging with them when they return is vital to avoid endangering the security of the UK. Whether in classrooms, local community centres, or through the global reach of the internet and social media, a clear message needs to be sent to those at risk. The agencies are at the cutting edge of sophistication and are owed an equally refined system of democratic scrutiny. It is an embarrassing indictment of our system that some in the media felt compelled to publish leaked information to ensure that matters were heard in Parliament. The Intelligence and Security Committee should be given a democratic mandate in the same way as other Select Committees

This report does not look into specific allegations of hacking, some of which are currently under investigation by the prosecuting authorities or may become the subject of judicial review. Instead it considers whether hacking of MPs' mobile phones, if it has occurred, may be a contempt of Parliament. The committee has concluded that there could potentially be a contempt if the hacking can be shown to have interfered with the work of the House or to have impeded or obstructed an MP from taking part in such work, or where a series of acts of hacking can be shown that the hacking has interfered with the work of the House by creating a climate of insecurity for one or more MPs. It is proposed that the draft Privileges Bill should include a definition of what is meant by 'contempt of Parliament' and that the Bill should codify Parliament's powers to impose sanctions, including a power for the House of Commons to fine. The committee points out that hacking is an offence under the criminal law and that civil law remedies may be available to MPs, just as they are available to others. It suggests that MPs and the House should pursue legal remedies in preference to proceeding against hackers and that only in exceptional circumstances should a hacker who has been brought before a court of law be proceeded against subsequently for contempt. In the view of the committee, there should be no special provision made to provide MPs or Parliament with remedies through the courts that are not available to others

A comprehensive doctrinal analysis of cybercrime laws in four major common law jurisdictions: Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.

Since the last edition of the book was published, there have been a number of important developments in the telecommunications industry. Telecommunications Law and Regulation takes these changes into account, including an examination of the EU New Regulatory Framework, as well as the establishment of the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). There are also new chapters on spectrum management (radio frequencies), and consumer protection rules. The access and interconnection chapter addresses the issues surrounding the high capacity broadband widely provided by Next Generation Networks.The chapter on licensing and authorisation has been refocused to reflect the increasing regulatory focus on the mobile sector. The chapter on regulating content has also been significantly restructured and revised to reflect the changes in how we consume content. Written by leading experts, it is essential reading for legal practitioners and academics involved in the telecommunications industry.