DIGITAL IMAGES AS EVIDENCE: GOVERNMENT
RESPONSE
ORDERED
TO
REPORT
1. In February, we reported on Digital Images
as Evidence (5th Report Session 1997-98, HL Paper 64;
evidence, HL Paper 64-I). Our Report considered the implications
for the justice system and for civil liberties of the digital
technology which is increasingly used to create, store and manipulate
images of every kind, including images captured by closed-circuit
TV.
2. Some of the issues covered in our Report arose
on the Data Protection Bill [HL], which was then in this House
and is now in the Commons. We received a prompt and helpful letter
on these issues from Lord Williams of Mostyn, which is printed
in Appendix 2. Members of the Committee probed some of these
issues further by tabling amendments to the Bill, which were withdrawn
following satisfactory responses by Ministers. In particular,
the Government confirmed that the Bill's provisions will apply
to closed-circuit TV (HL Deb 23 February 1998 col. CWH 1-6); and
that codes of practice issued by the Data Protection Commissioner
will be enforceable where based on the Bill's regime (HL Deb
25 February 1998 col. CWH 118-121).
3. The Government have now produced a response
to the Report as a whole, which in general we consider to be satisfactory.
The response is printed in Appendix 3.
|
