Can courts provide effective remedies against violations of fundamental rights by mass surveillance? The case of the United Kingdom

Abstract

This case comment examines the Investigatory Powers Tribunal’s jurisdiction and critically analyses its recent finding of compatibility of the GCHQ’s mass surveillance of telecommunications in the case of Liberty v. GCHQ with human rights. The analysis shows that the Tribunal’s human rights assessment fails to meet ECtHR standards. It provides a brief outlook on the cases concerning UK mass surveillance pending before the ECtHR and the reform of the RIPA regime, which expands the GCHQ’s competences even further. It concludes that neither the Tribunal’s jurisprudence nor the current reform process alleviate concerns regarding the mass surveillance’s compatibility with human rights.