ukconspiracy.myfastforum.org

admin

The power of the police to mount surveillance operations at peaceful protests will be challenged in court this week.

In a case seen as opposing Britain's move towards a Big Brother-style society, the High Court will determine if police are legally entitled to take photographs and compile information on protesters even if they do not break the law.

Arms campaigner Andrew Wood from Oxford claims that his human rights were infringed after Scotland Yard took his details and images of him even though he was not arrested.

The two-day judicial review is likely to determine the legality of surveillance and whether 'routine' intelligence gathering is permissible under the Human Rights Act.

Wood attended the 2005 annual meeting of Reed Elsevier, a publisher of academic journals which also runs arms fairs. The Metropolitan Police openly photographed and questioned members of the public who attended the central London meeting.

At the time Wood was press officer at Campaign Against Arms Trade. Scotland Yard has admitted that photographs and notes were stored on computers although no one was arrested or charged. Wood was there as a shareholder to ask about the recent purchase of the arms exhibition subsidiary Spearhead.

'I hope this legal action will safeguard our rights to privacy,' said Wood, who was granted legal aid.

Police claim that routine intelligence gathering plays a key role in deterring crime. However, the case comes amid concern that Britain is heading towards a 'police state', with the government's information commissioner warning that fears the UK would 'sleepwalk into a surveillance society' have become a reality.