Office of Surveillance Commissioners
| Office of Surveillance Commissioners
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  Lord Judge, Chief Surveillance Commissioner when the office was replaced in 2017. |
| Type | Judicial surveillance-oversight body |
| Dissolved | 1 September 2017 (transfer of functions)[1] |
| Status | Functions transferred to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office in 2017[1] |
| Area served | United Kingdom |
| Services | Oversight of police and Customs intrusive-surveillance authorisations; review and appeals[2] |
| Key people | Igor Judge — final Chief Surveillance Commissioner[1] |
| Remarks | Predecessor to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office. Andrew Leggatt was appointed first Chief Surveillance Commissioner on 1 July 1998[2] |
The Office of Surveillance Commissioners (OSC) was one of the predecessor bodies whose inspection and oversight functions passed to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office (IPCO) on 1 September 2017.[1]
IPCO brought together the functions of the OSC, the Interception of Communications Commissioner’s Office and the Intelligence Services Commissioner’s Office. IPCO is independent of government and is not part of the Home Office.[3]
Role and organisation
The historical official description cited by the earlier profile stated:
The OSC comprises a tribunal of 26 people. The Chief Surveillance Commissioner, Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners are appointed by the Prime Minister. Commissioners hold, or have held, high judicial office. One of their chief responsibilities is to scrutinise all notifications, renewals and cancellations of authorisations of property interference and intrusive surveillance.
Assistant Commissioners hold, or have held, office as Crown Court or Circuit Judge, Sheriff in Scotland or County Court Judge in Northern Ireland.
The Commissioners are supported by a team of Inspectors as well as by a secretariat.Source
People
2003/4
Chief Surveillance Commissioner
- Rt Hon Sir Andrew Leggatt[4]
Surveillance Commissioners
- Lord Bonomy
- Sir Michael Hutchison
- Sir John MacDermott
- Sir Charles McCullough
- Sir Philip Otton
- Lord Sutherland of Houndwood
Assistant Surveillance Commissioners
Lord Colville of Culross | Jeremy Fordham | Dr Colin Kolbert |
Inspectors
- Tony Williams, Chief Inspector
- Richard Allsopp
Staff
- Jennifer Riach, Secretary
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Home Office, Investigatory Powers Commissioner establishes oversight regime, 1 September 2017, accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 UK Parliament, Hansard, "Chief Surveillance Commissioner", 1 July 1998, HC Deb vol. 315, col. 185W, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office, Who we are (undated), accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).
- ↑ Office of Surveillance Commissioners Annual Report of the Chief Surveillance Commissioner to the Prime Minister and to Scottish Ministers for 2003-4