UK and US intelligence sharing was illegal, surveillance watchdog rules

An intelligence sharing regime between UK and US security services was unlawful, a surveillance watchdog has ruled.

Judges on the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, which deals with complaints against GCHQ, MI5 and MI6, found intercepted communications were provided to Britain’s listening post GCHQ under a programme that up until December breached human rights laws.

However, during the legal proceedings leading up to the judgment, the British government revealed previously-secret details of the legal framework that governs the bulk interception and intelligence sharing regime and by doing so made it compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights.