Report calls for legal professional privilege protection in Investigatory Powers Bill

A joint House of Lords/House of Commons committee has recommended that legal professional privilege (LPP) should be protected in the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill and not merely in a code of practice.

In a report, the committee said it was concerned that there were no substantive provisions addressing LPP on the face of the Bill, and considered that “this may call into question the application of LPP when the Bill’s powers are exercised…”

The committee said it had made a number of detailed recommendations on the Bill, including those aimed at ensuring that vital protections for lawyers and journalists were not compromised.

“The committee recommends that provision for the protection of LPP in relation to all categories of acquisition and interference addressed in the Bill should be included on the face of the Bill and not solely in a code of practice,” said the report.

The report is at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201516/jtselect/jtinvpowers/93/93.pdf