Interception of Communications Commissioner
20 March 2006
The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of the Right Honourable Sir Paul Kennedy as Interception of Communications Commissioner under the terms of Section 57 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Sir Paul's appointment is from 11 April 2006 to 10 April 2009.
Biographical Notes
Sir Paul Kennedy (70) was called to the Bar by Gray's Inn in 1960 and took silk in 1973. He served as a Justice of the High Court, assigned to the Queen's Bench Division, from 1983 to 1992. He was Presiding Judge of the North Eastern Circuit from 1985 to 1989. He served as Lord Justice of Appeal from 1992 to 2005 and also as Vice-President of the Queen's Bench Division from 1997 to 2002.
Notes for Editors
Section 57 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 provides for the Prime Minster to appoint an Interception of Communications Commissioner who must be a person who holds or has held high judicial office within the meaning of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876. The Interception of Communications Commissioner is appointed for a period of three years with the possibility of re-appointment.
The responsibility of the Commissioner is to keep under review the issue of interception warrants and the adequacy of the arrangements for ensuring the product of interception is properly handled. At the end of each calendar year, the Commissioner submits a report to the Prime Minister which is subsequently laid before Parliament and published.
Prime Minister's Questions