Investigatory Powers Act 2016

183 Requirements that must be met by warrants

(1) A bulk equipment interference warrant must contain a provision stating that it is a bulk equipment interference warrant.

(2) A bulk equipment interference warrant must be addressed to the head of the intelligence service by whom, or on whose behalf, the application for the warrant was made.

(3) A bulk equipment interference warrant must describe the conduct that is authorised by the warrant.

(4) A bulk equipment interference warrant must specify the operational purposes for which any material obtained under the warrant may be selected for examination.

(5) The operational purposes specified in the warrant must be ones specified, in a list maintained by the heads of the intelligence services (“the list of operational purposes”), as purposes which they consider are operational purposes for which material obtained under bulk equipment interference warrants may be selected for examination.

(6) The warrant may, in particular, specify all of the operational purposes which, at the time the warrant is issued, are specified in the list of operational purposes.

(7) An operational purpose may be specified in the list of operational purposes only with the approval of the Secretary of State.

(8) The Secretary of State may give such approval only if satisfied that the operational purpose is specified in a greater level of detail than the descriptions contained in section 178(1)(b) or (2).

(9) At the end of each relevant three-month period, the Secretary of State must give a copy of the list of operational purposes to the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.

(10) In subsection (9), “relevant three-month period” means—

(a) the period of three months beginning with the day on which this section comes into force, and

(b) each successive period of three months.

(11) The Prime Minister must review the list of operational purposes at least once a year.

(12) In this Chapter, “the specified operational purposes”, in relation to a bulk equipment interference warrant, means the operational purposes specified in the warrant in accordance with this section.