The Minority Caucus has described the surveillance and warrant provisions in the Security and Intelligence Agencies Bill, 2025 as “deeply troubling”, warning that they risk undermining privacy rights and civil liberties.
Addressing Parliament during debate on the Committee’s report, the Minority cautioned that applications to intercept communications under the Bill could be made not only to a Superior Court judge but also to a senior police officer.
“Administrative authorisation for such intrusive powers undermines the principle that only a court should approve invasions of privacy,” the Caucus stated.
The Minority further criticised the provision for broad warrants that may apply to a class of persons and last up to sixty days.
According to the Caucus, the Bill does not require authorities to notify affected persons after surveillance ends, nor does it mandate periodic review of necessity or the destruction of irrelevant data.
The Caucus also raised concerns about restrictions on parliamentary scrutiny, noting that security officers could refuse to produce documents before Parliament if the Speaker certifies disclosure as prejudicial to national security.
“There is no requirement to provide reasons or even redacted versions,” it pointed out, adding that the Bill imposes criminal sanctions of five to ten years for certain disclosures without explicitly protecting whistleblowers.
“National security and civil liberty are not opposing goals. We can protect our nation without eroding the freedoms of our people,” the Minority stressed, calling for judicial-only warrant authorisation and stronger whistleblower protections.