Counter Terrorism Act 2008 : new provisions set to "limit" photography in a public place
16/02/2009
Today (16 March 2009) marks the enforcement date of a number of provisions of the Counter Terrorism Act 2008 including Section 76, which relates to offences relating to information about members of armed forces etc.
Marc Vallee, a photojournalist, provided a perspective on these new "limits" under Section 76 of the act, in a column for the Guardian published last week (12 February 2009), an extract of which is reproduced below
"From Monday it will be an offence to elicit or attempt to elicit information about an individual who is or has been a member of the armed forces, intelligence services, or a police officer in Great Britain – it's been an offence in Northern Ireland since 2000. It will also be an offence to publish such information.
In a nutshell, you could be arrested for taking and publishing a picture of a police officer if the police think it is "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism". Your defence if charged by the crown prosecution service would be to prove that you had a "reasonable excuse" to take the picture in the first place."
Link to full article:
> 12.02.09 - Documenting dissent is under attack - by Marc Vallee (The Guardian)
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(Photo by Marc Vallée/ marcvallee.co.uk ) (c) Marc Vallée, 2009.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 16.02.09. Photographers stage a mass photo taking event outside New Scotland Yard on Monday 16 February 2009 in London, England. The event, called by the National Union of Journalists, marked the enforcement date of section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act
2008 which could prevent the media and public from taking pictures of the police.
