Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

Overview

This Act provides for the restoration of freedoms and civil liberties through the abolition of identity cards and unnecessary laws. The Act provides for the destruction, retention, use and other regulation of certain evidential material, imposes consent and other requirements in relation to certain processing of biometric information relating to children, and provides for a code of practice about surveillance camera systems, for the appointment and role of the Surveillance Camera Commissioner, and provides for judicial approval in relation to certain authorisations and notices under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. The Act also:

• provides for the repealing or rewriting of powers of entry and associated powers and for codes of practice and other safeguards in relation to such powers;
• makes provision about vehicles left on land;
• amends the maximum detention period for terrorist suspects;
• replaces certain stop and search powers and to provide for a related code of practice;
• makes provision about the safeguarding of vulnerable groups and about criminal records including provision for the establishment of the Disclosure and Barring Service and the dissolution of the Independent Safeguarding Authority;
• disregards convictions and cautions for certain abolished offences;
• makes provision about the release and publication of datasets held by public authorities and to make other provision about freedom of information and the Information Commissioner; and
• makes provision about the trafficking of people for exploitation and about stalking.