20(1)Section 17 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (exclusion of matters from legal proceedings) is amended as follows.U.K.
(2)In subsection (1), after “legal proceedings” there is inserted “ or Inquiries Act proceedings ”.
(3)In subsection (4), for “In this section “intercepted communications” means” there is substituted ““In this section—
“Inquiries Act proceedings” means proceedings of an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005;
“intercepted communications” means”.”.
21(1)Section 18 of that Act (exceptions to section 17) is amended as follows.U.K.
(2)In subsection (5) the word “legal” is omitted.
(3)In subsection (7), after paragraph (b) there is inserted “; or
(c)a disclosure to the panel of an inquiry held under the Inquiries Act 2005 in the course of which the panel has ordered the disclosure to be made to the panel alone.”
(4)After subsection (8) there is inserted—
“(8A)The panel of an inquiry shall not order a disclosure under subsection (7)(c) except where it is satisfied that the exceptional circumstances of the case make the disclosure essential to enable the inquiry to fulfil its terms of reference.”