Submissions due Friday on the Search and Surveillance Bill

Submission on the Search and Surveillance Bill close this Friday, 3 September. We hope that you will take a few moments to make your voice heard on this important issue. Instructions and further information are below. If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Campaign to Stop the Search and Surveillance Bill.

Thanks!

General Instructions

1. Submissions are due 3 September 2010
2. Submissions can be made on-line through the parliamentary website. You may compose your submission on the website or in Word (or equivalent), and: attach it or cut n’paste it into the website as specified. 
3. Go to http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/MakeSub/a/8/4/49SCJE_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL9281_1-Search-and-Surveillance-Bill.htm click on this and follow the instructions.
4. Submissions can be made in hard copy [two copies required] – freepost to Justice and Electoral Select Committee, Parliament, Wellington
5. You can download the entire ‘Interim report of the select committee’ (a 442-page pdf document) from the ‘Search and Surveillance’ page on parliament’s website: http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/SC/Documents/Reports/4/2/e/49DBSCH_SCR4856_1-Interim-report-on-the-Search-and-Surveillance-Bill.htm
    

Format of your submission

 There is no specific way that your submission should look. You should include the following items: your name and contact details, if you want to make an oral submission to the select committee, and whatever you want to say about the bill – this can be general or very specific.

The Campaign to Stop the Search and Surveillance Bill is opposed to:

1. Video surveillance by any agency of the state where trespass onto private property is required. Video surveillance inside of private property is currently totally illegal. It should remain that way. There is no justifiable reason for police or any of the approximately 70 other government agencies in this bill to be able to install a camera in anyone’s bedroom, car, church or anywhere else.
2. Making video surveillance subject to the same regime as audio surveillance. We say that the intrusion into our privacy by video surveillance is entirely different from audio surveillance.
3. Any expansion of State power to conduct audio surveillance. Currently the law restricts audio surveillance (bugging) to investigations of serious and violent offences. We say that even now the police abuse that and get warrants when they shouldn’t. It is not enough just to suspect someone.
4. Making on-going surveillance legally similar to a one-off search. We think that the two are very different – the privacy implications of on-going surveillance is much more profound than a one-time search.
5. Any expansion of police or other agency powers of search without warrant.
6. Any expansion of police powers to erect roadblocks.
7. The conferring of police powers onto 70+ other government agencies.
8. The use of ‘plain view’ searches to seize computer systems and data.
9. The end to the right to silence through the use of production and examination orders.
10. The ability to conduct remote computer searches.
11.  The ability to compel individuals to provide computer access information.

­­­­Please share your views with the select committee on this matter of vital importance!

More info: http://www.stopthebillnow.blogspot.com