Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000

7 Issue of warrants

(1) An interception warrant shall not be issued except—

(a) under the hand of the Secretary of State; or

(b) in a case falling within subsection (2), under the hand of a senior official.

(2) Those cases are—

(a) an urgent case in which the Secretary of State has himself expressly authorised the issue of the warrant in that case; and

(b) a case in which the warrant is for the purposes of a request for assistance made under an international mutual assistance agreement by the competent authorities of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom and either—

(i) it appears that the interception subject is outside the United Kingdom; or

(ii) the interception to which the warrant relates is to take place in relation only to premises outside the United Kingdom.

(3) An interception warrant—

(a) must be addressed to the person falling within section 6(2) by whom, or on whose behalf, the application for the warrant was made; and

(b) in the case of a warrant issued under the hand of a senior official, must contain, according to whatever is applicable—

(i) one of the statements set out in subsection (4); and

(ii) if it contains the statement set out in subsection (4)(b), one of the statements set out in subsection (5).

(4) The statements referred to in subsection (3)(b)(i) are—

(a) a statement that the case is an urgent case in which the Secretary of State has himself expressly authorised the issue of the warrant;

(b) a statement that the warrant is issued for the purposes of a request for assistance made under an international mutual assistance agreement by the competent authorities of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom.

(5) The statements referred to in subsection (3)(b)(ii) are—

(a) a statement that the interception subject appears to be outside the United Kingdom;

(b) a statement that the interception to which the warrant relates is to take place in relation only to premises outside the United Kingdom.