The Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Welcome to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal website

The Tribunal is a judicial body which operates independently of government to provide a right of redress for anyone who believes they have been a victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert investigative techniques. The Tribunal is also the appropriate forum to consider complaints about any conduct by or on behalf of the UK Intelligence Community, MI5, SIS and GCHQ, as well as claims alleging the infringement of human rights by those agencies. The Tribunal has a UK wide jurisdiction and there are no costs associated with making a complaint to the Tribunal.

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 strengthened the provisions governing the Tribunal by providing a new right of appeal from decisions and determinations of the Tribunal in circumstances where there is a point of law that raises an important point of principle or practice, or where there is some other compelling reason for allowing an appeal.

As the remit of the Tribunal is to deal with covert techniques and matters of national security, complainants are not required to provide evidence to support their complaint or Human Rights Act Claim. Instead they are asked to specify what activity they know or believe has taken place. The Tribunal is under a duty both to investigate and to determine valid complaints and public authorities are under a duty to provide the Tribunal with all documents and information the Tribunal may require to assist in that investigation. Nothing can be held back from the Tribunal for reasons of secrecy or national security. To counter this, and to protect sensitive information, the Tribunal may not disclose to the complainant anything which might compromise national security or the prevention and detection of serious crime, the economic well-being of the United Kingdom or the continued discharge of the functions of any of the intelligence services. However, wherever possible, and subject to this limitation, the Tribunal will provide findings of fact or a summary of the determination.

On this website you can find further information about:

• How you can make a complaint to the Tribunal;
• The key legislation that governs how the Tribunal works as well as its rules of procedure;
• How you can appeal a decision or determination of the Tribunal;
• Who we are

Announcements

• Report of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal 2016 - 2021

  15 Nov 22

  Report of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal is now available to download from the 'Our Reports' Section. It covers the period from January 2017 to December 2021 plus reports from key decisions in 2016

• Royal Appointments

  12 Sep 22

  On 15 August 2022 Her Majesty the late Queen appointed Annabel Darlow QC (now KC); Stephen Shaw QC (now KC); Francesca Del Mese and Upper Tribunal Judge Rupert Jones as Legal Members of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), with effect from 15 August 2022. The appointment will be for a five-year term, which may be subject to renewal. Lord Justice Singh, the President of the IPT, congratulates all the new members on their appointment and wishes them well in their new role.

• Investigatory Powers Tribunal Judicial Member

  5 Jul 22

  Her Majesty the Queen has appointed Mr Justice Chamberlain as a Judicial Member of the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), with effect from 11 July 2022. The appointment will be for a five-year term, which may be subject to renewal. Lord Justice Singh, the President of the IPT, congratulates Mr Justice Chamberlain on his appointment and wishes him well in his new role.

  Biographical notes

  Mr Justice (Martin) Chamberlain was called to the Bar (Middle Temple) in 1997. He specialised in public law, human rights and EU and international law. Mr Justice Chamberlain was a member of the Attorney General’s panels of counsel and acted for and against the Crown and other public bodies. He served as a Special Advocate in national security proceedings and was appointed a QC in 2013 and a Deputy High Court Judge in 2016. He was also Chair of the Constitutional and Administrative Law Bar Association. He was appointed a High Court Judge in October 2019.