Interception of Communications Act 1985

"IOCA" redirects here. The term may also refer to Image Object Content Architecture, part of Advanced Function Presentation.

The Interception of Communications Act 1985 (c. 56) was an act of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom. It came into operation as of 10 April 1986.

Interception of Communications Act 1985

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make new provision for and in connection with the interception of communications sent by post or by means of public telecommunication systems and to amend section 45 of the Telecommunications Act 1984.
Citation	1985 c. 56
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	25 July 1985
Commencement	10 April 1986
Repealed	2 October 2000
Other legislation
Amends	Official Secrets Act 1920 Post Office Act 1953 Post Office Act 1969 House of Commons Disqualification Act 1975 Telecommunications Act 1984
Amended by	Official Secrets Act 1989 Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1993 Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc. ) Order 1999 Courts and Legal Services Act 1990
Repealed by	Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The act created the offence of unlawfully intercepting communications sent by post or by a "public telecommunications system"; those guilty were liable, on conviction, to a fine or up to two years imprisonment. It provided for a system of warrants to permit legal interception, and laid down cases where interception could be done lawfully, stating that having reasonable grounds to believe that the other party consented to interception was a defence.

The act also established a complaints tribunal (which in 2000 was subsumed into the Investigatory Powers Tribunal), and created the post of Interception of Communications Commissioner to review the workings of the act. It amended parts of the Telecommunications Act 1984.

This act has since been repealed by schedule 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

See also

• Secrecy of correspondence
• Malone v UK
• United Kingdom constitutional law

References

Bibliography

• Whitaker's Almanack: for the year 1987, complete edition, p. 363. J. Whitaker & Sons, London, 1986

External links

• Sections of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 as passed