Legislation
The oversight mechanisms are founded in three key pieces of legislation:
- the Security Service Act 1989 (amended 1996) [External website], which placed the Service under the authority of the Home Secretary and which set out the functions of the Service and the responsibilities of the Director General;
- the Intelligence Services Act 1994 [External website], which, amongst other things, established a framework for the Intelligence and Security Committee to exercise oversight of the expenditure, administration and policy of the three Agencies; and
- the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) [External website] which established a Commissioner for the Interception of Communications, a Commissioner for the Intelligence Services and a Tribunal to examine complaints and hear proceedings under section 7 of the Human Rights Act 1998. (see Commissioners and Tribunal for more information on these bodies)
