text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Investigatory Powers Bill - Clause 53 - Judicial Rather than Internal Authorisation to Obtain Communications Data
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  
  @ MP voted aye to require requests for communications data to be authorised by a Judicial Commissioner rather than just a designated officer within the police or other specified public body.
  @ MP voted no  to allow a designated officer within the police or other specified public bodies to authorise a request for communications data rather than to require authorisation from a Judicial Commissioner.
  
  The majority of MPs voted to allow a designated officer within the police or other specified public bodies to authorise a request for communications data rather than to require authorisation from a Judicial Commissioner.
  
  MPs were considering the Investigatory Powers Bill[1]. 
  
  The amendment rejected in this vote was:
  
  :Amendment proposed: 320, page 42, leave out lines 14 and 15 and insert
  :âSubsection (2) applies if a designated senior officer of a relevant public authority considersâ
  :(a) that a Judicial Commissioner may, on an application made by a designated senior officer at a relevant public authority, issue a communications data access authorisation where the Judicial Commissioner considersââ.
  
  An explanatory statement accompanying this, and other, amendments stated:
  
  :These amendments provide that in order to access communications data, a relevant public authority must seek a warrant from a Judicial Commissioner rather than undertake a system of internal authorisation. These amendments would require that there is reasonable suspicion of serious crime for a warrant authorising communications data acquisition.
  
  The rejected amendment would have impacted Clause 53[3] of the Bill[3] which is on the subject of targeted authorisations for obtaining communications data and at the time of the vote began with lines 14 and 15 which stated:
  
  : (1) Subsection (2) applies if a designated senior officer of a relevant public authority considersâ 
  
  
  The definition of communications data was provided in section 223 of the Bill[4] which states it is information about a communication but not the content of that communication. 
  
  The definition of designated senior officer which applies particular types of communications data is set out in Schedule 4.[5]
  
  
  ==
  
  * [1] [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/investigatorypowers.html Parliament's webpage on the Investigatory Powers Bill]
  * [2] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2016-2017/0002/amend/investigatory_day_rep_0603.113-119.html Page of amendment papers including amendment 320, and the related explanatory statement accompanying amendment 327] 
  * [3] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2016-2017/0002/cbill_2016-20170002_en_6.htm#pt3-pb1-l1g53 Clause 53 of the Investigatory Powers Bill as at the time of the vote]
  * [4] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2016-2017/0002/cbill_2016-20170002_en_19.htm#pt9-ch2-pb2-l1g223 Section 223 of the Investigatory Powers Bill as at the time of the vote]
  * [5] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2015-2016/0143/16143.pdf See p216 of PDF for Schedule 4 of the Investigatory Powers Bill as at the time of the vote (table garbled in HTML version)]
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  