“We are pleased that the prime minister and home secretary have accepted our recommendations. It is now up to the Home Office to decide on the best way to implement the recommendations,” Cavan said.
Very pleased the Prime Minister has accepted our inquiry recc re judicial authority for comms data requests to protect journalistic sources
— iocco (@iocco_oversight) 4 февраля 2015
The Home Secretary Theresa May says she accepts the @iocco_oversight report: "I welcome his recommendations, which I accept in full"
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) 4 февраля 2015
The recommendations were outlined in the IOCCO report published Wednesday, which says that British police used anti-terror laws to make over 600 applications over a three-year period to obtain the confidential sources of journalists.
In the report, the IOCCO recommended that police forces seek permission from a judge if they want to retrieve the communications data of journalists.
The IOCCO is an independent watchdog that reviews the interception of communications and the disclosure of communications data together with RIPA. It prepares a report for the British prime minister every six months.