It's cool for Brit snoops to break the law, says secretive spy court. Just hold on while we pull off some legal jujitsu to let MI5 off the hook...

It’s perfectly legal for British spies to break the law, Britain’s secretive spy court has ruled – making a mockery of other laws intended to keep eavesdropping agencies and others under effective control. Sweeping away campaign group Privacy International’s legal objections, judges Lord Justice Singh, Lord Boyd and Sir …

[Danny 2]

(among other things, writing “Cecil King, one of our agents”)

It's still not mentioned on his Wikipedia page that he was an MI5 agent. It does mention his coup plot.

King was involved in, and may have instigated, a bizarre 1968 meeting with Louis Mountbatten, among others, in which he proposed that Harold Wilson's government be overthrown and replaced with a temporary administration headed by Mountbatten.

He had no support from them for this, so he decided to override the editorial independence of the Mirror and wrote and instructed to be published a front-page article calling on Wilson to be removed by some sort of extra-parliamentary action.

I got two downvotes 10 days ago for mentioning that was covered by The Crown. I should probably have quoted Spycatcher instead.

So how does a judiciary legislate a government agency that has openly tried to do away with our veneer democracy? Protonmail wrote a blog post criticising MI5 and the next day they were ddosed off the internet for weeks. Oh, an interesting that the night after Boris got elected his first engagement was to attend the birthday party of a billionaire KGB agent.

This is a fun fact from the Wilson government, old London buses were being exported to Cuba against US wishes, and the ship they were on was sunk in the Thames to stop Castro gaining Routemaster technology. You'd only know that though if you read the Christic Institute lawsuits, or if you are a big Alan Moore or Iain Banks fan.

God Save the MI5

God save our gracious Mi5,

Long live our noble MI5,

God save the MI5;

Send Q victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us,

God save the MI5.

[Aodhhan]

It's just like being a spy in the US

You can break the law in the USA if you work for certain areas of the US Gov't.

For instance, you can sell weapons to Mexican drug cartels (even when they will be used to kill US citizens), not follow the law on recording and retention of government documents, lie to the American people about what really happened in Bengazi to name several.

Let's not forget the latest items. Such as overturn an election for POTUS, lie to the FISA court, leak confidential information to the press, etc.

If you want to break any law, get elected to the US House of Representatives. You don't even have to worry about the separation of powers clause, or the court system. You can even outright lie to the public, and say anything at all on the floor or committees of the House!

[localzuk]

Consequences are for the proles

We've long known this - whilst the law may apply to the rich, powerful, ministers, prime ministers, spies etc... What actually matters is the consequences.

The reality is that the organisation that would bring any prosecution is controlled by the government - the CPS. They have absolute control over this agency, as part of the executive. If something is determined to be covered by "national security", at the sole view of the Attorney General, who is appointed by the government of the time, then it is entirely up to them whether it goes ahead.

Well, unless someone pays for a private prosecution that is... Ha.

With a majority like the one Boris Johnson has now also, it would be very difficult for anything to stop a change in the law also. So, the Supreme Court's powers are still limited by the government.

[david 12]

Which team to support?

Court brought it back within the pale with a ruling that its decisions are subject to appeal, despite laws establishing the IPT having been explicitly written to ensure they couldn't be

It's hard to know which teem to barrack against: the government for trying to put themselves above the courts, or the courts for trying to put themselves above the government.

[Cynic_999]

They are not immune ...

We all have the same "protection". If we break the law and are caught, then there is a chance that the CPS will decline to prosecute for any number of reasons, including "it's not in the public interest", in which case we have got away with it.

The only difference being the probability that the CPS will decide not to prosecute ...

[Anonymous Coward]

You and them

Laws are for subjects, to keep them in line.

Don't forget your place or you won't have one.