Part IV

Scrutiny etc. of investigatory powers and of the functions of the intelligence services

Codes of practice

Effect of codes of practice.
72
1
A person exercising or performing any power or duty in relation to which provision may be made by a code of practice under section 71 shall, in doing so, have regard to the provisions (so far as they are applicable) of every code of practice for the time being in force under that section.
2
A failure on the part of any person to comply with any provision of a code of practice for the time being in force under section 71 shall not of itself render him liable to any criminal or civil proceedings.
3
A code of practice in force at any time under section 71 shall be admissible in evidence in any criminal or civil proceedings.
4
If any provision of a code of practice issued or revised under section 71 appears to—
a
the court or tribunal conducting any civil or criminal proceedings,
b
the Tribunal,
ba
the Investigatory Powers Commissioner for Northern Ireland carrying out functions under this Act, or
bb
the Investigatory Powers Commissioner or any other Judicial Commissioner carrying out functions under this Act, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 or the Police Act 1997,
to be relevant to any question arising in the proceedings, or in connection with the exercise of that jurisdiction or the carrying out of those functions, in relation to a time when it was in force, that provision of the code shall be taken into account in determining that question.
5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
S. 72 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 83(2); s. 72 in force for certain purposes at 25.9.2000 and s. 72 in force at 2.10.2000 for certain other purposes by S.I. 2000/2543, arts. 2, 3; s. 72 in force for certain other purposes at 13.8.2001 by S.I. 2001/2727, art. 2; s. 72 in force for further certain purposes at 1.10.2007 by S.I. 2007/2196, art. 2(h)
Pt. IV (ss. 26-48): power to apply (with modifications) conferred (1.10.2002) by 2002 c. 30, s. 19(2)(b); S.I. 2002/2306, art. 2(b)(v)
Pt. 4 modified (1.4.2004) by The Independent Police Complaints Commission (Investigatory Powers) Order 2004 (S.I. 2004/815), art. 3 (as amended (E.W.) (8.1.2018) by The Independent Office for Police Conduct (Transitional and Consequential) Regulations 2017 (S.I. 2017/1250), regs. 1, 10(6) (with reg. 37))
S. 72(4) modified (31.7.2014) by The Data Retention Regulations 2014 (S.I. 2014/2042), regs. 1(2), 10(4), 15(7)
S. 72(4)(ba)(bb) substituted (1.9.2017) for s. 72(4)(c)-(e) by Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25), s. 272(1), Sch. 10 para. 82(2) (with Sch. 9 paras. 7, 8, 10); S.I. 2017/859, reg. 2(j)
S. 72(5) omitted (1.9.2017) by virtue of Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (c. 25), s. 272(1), Sch. 10 para. 82(3) (with Sch. 9 paras. 7, 8, 10); S.I. 2017/859, reg. 2(j)
Pt. 4: power to amend conferred (1.11.2022 for specified purposes, 20.2.2023 for specified purposes, 19.6.2023 in so far as not already in force) by 2006 c. 52, s. 340P(5)(a) (as inserted by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), ss. 11(3), 24(1); S.I. 2022/1095, reg. 3; S.I. 2023/158, reg. 4; S.I. 2023/621, reg. 2)