ABSTRACT
Legal process is to make sure, before something is done by ‘authority’, whether a local council or the police, that the views, concerns and objections of individuals and groups who are affected by the decision are heard and the rights of those whose freedoms, whether personal or over property or goods, may be curtailed by the action are protected. Officers who are authorised by the local authority must hold a relevant qualification and be sufficiently competent in the particular field of operation. Local authorities must ensure that the officers operating on their behalf are competent to do whatever is required of them. Local authorities are required to obtain judicial approval prior to using covert surveillance techniques. Additionally, local authority use of directed surveillance under Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is limited to the investigation of crimes which attract a six-month or more custodial sentence, with the exception of offences relating to the underage sale of alcohol and tobacco.
