Abstract:

Simon Watkin will share his unique perspective of the Government's progress towards full implementation of RIPA. He will recall the conception of RIPA, describe how the imposition of regulation on public authorities' surveillance of communications data was derailed and explain the effect of the RIPA Statutory Instruments which Parliament is being invited to approve. He will also explain what has happened to Part III of RIPA. Finally he will describe what he is doing to review how best the Government can ensure respect for individual privacy and, at the same time, protect the public from crime and terrorism.

Speaker:

Simon Watkin joined the Home Office's Covert Investigation Policy Team in September 2002 from David Blunkett's Private Office where he was a Private Secretary. He was nominated as an Internet Hero at the UK Internet Industry Awards 2003 for "doing his best to understand the industry, tech sector interest groups and experts and to subsequently inform discussions within the Home Office".

He worked on implementation of the recommendations of the Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit report on Encryption and Law Enforcement, and on the development of the National Technical Assistance Centre. In 2001 he established the Home Office's Hi-Tech Crime Team assessing the impact of new technologies upon law enforcement capabilities.