NPCC responds to High Court Ruling on DRIPA

ACC Berry said:

“In the digital environment in which we now live more and more of our lives, policing has become increasingly reliant on the availability of communications data, not only in relation to the investigation of criminality, but also in meeting our obligations under the Human Rights Act to safeguard lives.

“A significant proportion of our acquisition of data relates to situations where life is at immediate risk and a significant proportion of those requests relate to non-crime enquiries, for example: tracing vulnerable and suicidal missing persons. Accordingly, to reassure the public, we will rigorously assess how this ruling would impact upon our core mission to protect life. Any reduction in our ability to protect the public would cause the police service grave concerns.

“We are aware that the Government intends to appeal this ruling and therefore do not intend to comment further until that process has been completed.”

ENDS