Homeowners spied on by councils 'should get compensation'

Christopher Hope
London Telegraph
Friday, Feb 6, 2009

Homeowners who are spied on by councils using anti-terror legislation should be paid compensation for the invasion of their privacy, peers said.

An influential House of Lords committee warns that the increasing use of surveillance to monitor the public risks undermining the "cornerstone of democracy".

No figure is set on the compensation but it could run into thousands of pounds.

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The committee says that judges should have the final word on when town halls and other public organisations can use terror powers to spy on people.

There should also be a legally-binding code of conduct setting out in law when it is unacceptable to spy on people's private activities using CCTV cameras.

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) was brought in to help police combat serious crime and terrorism nine years ago.

But almost 800 public bodies have since been given permission to use the legislation to carry out surveillance and intercept personal communications.

Full article here