Interception of Communications Act 1985

1985 CHAPTER 56 _I1

An Act to make new provision for and in connection with the interception of communications sent by post or by means of public telecommunication systems and to amend section 45 of the Telecommunications Act 1984.

[25th July 1985]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

case ^F1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (7)

Attorney General's Reference No 5 of 2002 (On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))[2004] UKHL 40
Regina v. Sargent[2001] UKHL 54
R v P & Ors[2000] UKHL 72
Coulson & Anor v R[2013] EWCA Crim 1026
E, R. v[2004] EWCA Crim 1243

and 2 more in the case-law panel for this provision

case ^F2 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (6)

Attorney General's Reference No 5 of 2002 (On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))[2004] UKHL 40
Regina v Shayler (On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))[2002] UKHL 11
Regina v. Sargent[2001] UKHL 54
R v P & Ors[2000] UKHL 72
Schofield, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary Of State For The Home Department[2021] EWHC 902 (Admin)

and 1 more in the case-law panel for this provision

^F3 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F4 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F5 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case ^F6 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (5)

Attorney General's Reference No 5 of 2002 (On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))[2004] UKHL 40
R v P & Ors[2000] UKHL 72
W, R v[2003] EWCA Crim 1632
Schofield, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary Of State For The Home Department[2021] EWHC 902 (Admin)

and 1 more in the case-law panel for this provision

case ^F7 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (4)

R v Investigatory Powers Tribunal and others[2019] UKSC 22
Regina v. Sargent[2001] UKHL 54
Privacy International, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs & Ors[2017] EWCA Civ 1868

and 1 more in the case-law panel for this provision

case ^F8 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (1)

Regina v Shayler (On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))[2002] UKHL 11

case ^F9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Cases considering this provision (8)

Attorney General's Reference No 5 of 2002 (On Appeal from the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division))[2004] UKHL 40
Regina v. Sargent[2001] UKHL 54
R v P & Ors[2000] UKHL 72
E, R. v[2004] EWCA Crim 1243
W, R v[2003] EWCA Crim 1632

and 3 more in the case-law panel for this provision

^F10 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 Amendments, saving and repeal.

(1) For section 45 of the 1984 Act (interception and disclosure of messages etc. ) there shall be substituted the section set out in Schedule 2 to this Act.

^F11 (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F12 (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F12 (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F12 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 Short title, commencement and extent. _cross-notes

(1) This Act may be cited as the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

(2) This Act shall come into force on such day as the Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument appoint.

(3) This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

(4) Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that any of the provisions of this Act specified in the Order shall extend to the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands with such exceptions, adaptations and modifications as may be so specified.

SCHEDULES

^F13 SCHEDULE 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section 11.

^F15 SCHEDULE 2 Section Substituted for Section 45 of 1984 Act

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

in force	Provision is in force
in force*	In force only for specified purposes (for detail about the purposes see/hover footnote)
not in force	Not in force in England (may be in force in other geographies, see footnotes)
italics	Defined term
_dfn	Defined term (alternative style)
gry bckgrd	the in-force status of the provision is complex, check the footnotes

in force

Provision is in force

in force*

In force only for specified purposes (for detail about the purposes see/hover footnote)

not in force

Not in force in England (may be in force in other geographies, see footnotes)

italics

Defined term

_dfn

Defined term (alternative style)

gry bckgrd

the in-force status of the provision is complex, check the footnotes

footnote	commentary	in force status	related provisions	insert/omit
C1	Power of appointment conferred by s. 12(2) fully exercised: S.I. 1986/384
F1	S. 1 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F2	S. 2 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3)-(6) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F3	S. 3 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F4	S. 4 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F5	S. 5 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F6	S. 6 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F7	S. 7 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3 (subject to transitional savings in art. 6 )		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F8	S. 8 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F9	S. 9 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F10	S. 10 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F11	S. 11(2) repealed (26.3.2001) by 2000 c. 26 , s. 127(6) , Sch. 9 ; S.I. 2001/878 , art. 2 , Sch. (subject to transitional and saving provisions in arts. 3-17 )			repealed
F12	S. 11(3)-(5) repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F13	Sch. 1 repealed (2.10.2000) by 2000 c. 23 , s. 82(2) , Sch. 5 (with s. 82(3) ); S.I. 2000/2543 , art. 3 (subject to transitional savings in art. 6 )		this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
F15	Sch. 2 repealed (25.7.2003 for specified purposes, 29.12.2003 in so far as not already in force) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21) , s. 411(2) , Sch. 19(1) Note 1 (with Sch. 18 ); S.I. 2003/1900 , arts. 1(2) , 2(1) , Schs. 1 (with art. 3 ) (as amended by S.I. 2003/3142 , art. 1(3)); S.I. 2003/3142 , art. 3(2) (with art. 11 )	commentary suggests repealed	this amendment (text repealed) should be read in conjunction with other related provisions, see the commentary.	repealed
I1	Act not in force at Royal Assent see s. 12(2) ; wholly in force at (10.4.1986) by S.I. 1986/384 , art. 2 .

Interception of Communications Act 1985

1985 CHAPTER 56 I1

case F1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case F2 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F3 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F4 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F5 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case F6 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case F7 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case F8 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case F9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F10 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 Amendments, saving and repeal.

12 Short title, commencement and extent. cross-notes

SCHEDULES

F13 SCHEDULE 1

F15 SCHEDULE 2 Section Substituted for Section 45 of 1984 Act

Status of changes to instrument text

1985 CHAPTER 56 _I1

case ^F1 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case ^F2 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F3 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F4 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F5 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case ^F6 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case ^F7 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case ^F8 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

case ^F9 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

^F10 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12 Short title, commencement and extent. _cross-notes

^F13 SCHEDULE 1

^F15 SCHEDULE 2 Section Substituted for Section 45 of 1984 Act