In this Act—

• F23“apparatus” has the same meaning as in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (see section 263(1) of that Act);

• “Assistant Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis” includes the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis;

• F14...

• “civil proceedings” means any proceedings in or before any court or tribunal that are not criminal proceedings;

• “communication” includes—

  1. a

     F16... anything transmitted by means of a postal service;

  2. b

     anything comprising speech, music, sounds, visual images or data of any description; and

  3. c

     signals serving either for the impartation of anything between persons, between a person and a thing or between things or for the actuation or control of any apparatus;

• “criminal”, in relation to any proceedings F19..., shall be construed in accordance with subsection (4);

• F1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

• “document” includes a map, plan, design, drawing, picture or other image;

• “enactment” includes—

  1. a

     an enactment passed after the passing of this Act; and

  2. b

     an enactment contained in Northern Ireland legislation;

• “GCHQ” has the same meaning as in the M1Intelligence Services Act 1994;

• “Her Majesty’s forces” has the same meaning as in the F2Armed Forces Act 2006;

• “intelligence service” means the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service or GCHQ;

• “interception” and cognate expressions shall be construed (so far as it is applicable) in accordance with F24section 2F24sections 4 and 5 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016;

• “interception warrant” meansF20—

  1. a

     a targeted interception warrant or mutual assistance warrant under Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, or

  2. b

     a bulk interception warrant under Chapter 1 of Part 6 of that Act;

• F15“the Investigatory Powers Commissioner” and “Judicial Commissioner” have the same meanings as in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (see section 263(1) of that Act);

• F3 “justice of the peace” does not include a justice of the peace in Northern Ireland;

• “legal proceedings” means civil or criminal proceedings in or before any court or tribunal F4or proceedings before an officer in respect of a service offence within the meaning of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

• “modification” includes alterations, additions and omissions, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;

• F14...

• “person” includes any organisation and any association or combination of persons;

• “police force” means any of the following—

  1. a

     any police force maintained under section 2 of the M2Police Act 1996 (police forces in England and Wales outside London);

  2. b

     the metropolitan police force;

  3. c

     the City of London police force;

  4. d

     F13the Police Service of Scotland;

  5. e

     the Royal Ulster Constabulary;

  6. f

     the Ministry of Defence Police;

  7. g

     the F5Royal Navy Police;

  8. h

     the Royal Military Police;

  9. i

     the Royal Air Force Police;

  10. j

      the British Transport Police;

• F25“postal service” and “public postal service” have the meanings given by section 2(1);F25“postal service” has the same meaning as in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (see section 262(7) of that Act);

• F17...

• “public authority” means any public authority within the meaning of section 6 of the M3Human Rights Act 1998 (acts of public authorities) other than a court or tribunal;

• “senior official” means, subject to subsection (7), a member of the Senior Civil Service or a member of the Senior Management Structure of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service;

• “statutory”, in relation to any power or duty, means conferred or imposed by or under any enactment or subordinate legislation;

• “subordinate legislation” means any subordinate legislation (within the meaning of the M4Interpretation Act 1978) or any statutory rules (within the meaning of the M5Statutory Rules (Northern Ireland) Order 1979);

• F14...

• “telecommunication system” and “telecommunications service” have F18the same meanings as in the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (see section 261(11) to (13) of that Act);

• F28“tri-service serious crime unit” means the unit described in section 375(1A) of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

• “the Tribunal” means the tribunal established under section 65;

• “wireless telegraphy” has the same meaning as in the F6the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 and, in relation to wireless telegraphy, “interfere” has the same meaning as in that Act;

• “working day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or a day which is a bank holiday under the M6Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971 in any part of the United Kingdom.

In this Act “criminal proceedings” includes F7proceedings before a court in respect of a service offence within the meaning of the Armed Forces Act 2006,F21....

If it appears to the Secretary of State that it is necessary to do so in consequence of any changes to the structure or grading of the F10statutory civil service (or any part of it), he may by order make such amendments of the definition of “senior official” in subsection (1) as appear to him appropriate to preserve, so far as practicable, the effect of that definition.

References in this Act to provision which, if it were contained in an Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly, would deal with a Northern Ireland transferred matter or (as the case may be) a transferred matter (see sections F26... 32A(8)(c) and 77B(3)) do not include references to any such provision which would be ancillary to other provision (whether in the Act of the Northern Ireland Assembly or previously enacted) which deals with an excepted or reserved matter (within the meaning given by section 4(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998).