The Human Rights Act Of The Uk - 4192 Words

Over the last 20 years there has been a concerted effort by the government to erode our civil liberties and infringe upon our most fundamental human rights. Whether it be â€Å"paternalistic† state snooping authorised by the Home Secretary Theresa May, closed courts and â€Å"secret justice,† the seizure of travel documents, reintroduction of exile as a punitive measure or restrictions placed on individuals through Terrorism Prevention and Investigatory Measures, legislation has noticeably become more draconian in the UK to the detriment of western liberal ideals. Nevertheless, even in the most liberal democracy there is a need for common sense. As such, pragmatists acknowledge some erosion of freedom maybe a necessity to ensure greater protection†¦show more content†¦GCHQ and Snooping The Government Communications Headquarters otherwise known as GCHQ is an intelligence agency whose functions are set out in the Intelligence Services Act (1994). This piece of legislation explains how GCHQ’s primary objective is, â€Å"to monitor or interfere with electromagnetic, acoustic and other emissions and any equipment producing such emissions and to obtain and provide information derived from or related to such emissions or equipment and from encrypted material† . This brief enables GCHQ to gain access to every electronic storage device; MP3’s, laptops, computers and telecommunication appliances all being included in this broad remit. Such unprecedented access to modern technology through measures ratified by the government appears to signify a clear erosion of our privacy and an executive desire for omniscience. On GCHQ’s website, they describe themselves as â€Å"a foreign-focused intelligence agency, with a signals intelligence role† . T his role can be exercised for the purposes of â€Å"national security†¦ economic well-being of the UK [and] in support of the prevention or detection of serious crime.† These noble intentions provide an insight into why the government believes prying is a necessity and public protection is of paramount importance. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000) (RIPA) allows GCHQ to intercept private correspondences, whether they are telecommunications