On Tuesday 12 February 2013, the Parliamentary committee dealing with the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill (the so-called “Spy Bill”) starts work again, aiming to adopt the Bill by 20 March 2013. The Right2Know Campaign remains opposed to the provisions of the Bill and will continue to monitor its progress through Parliament.
Why does R2K oppose the “Spy Bill”?
We believe the GILAB, in conjunction with other measures such as the Secrecy Bill, points towards of a trend of ‘securitisation’ of our democracy, where ‘national security’ becomes a justification for an increasingly politicised and unaccountable securocratic elite.
- The Bill guarantees vast unchecked powers for the State Security Agency and does not address the burning need for stronger public oversight of them;
- The Bill further erodes constitutional rights by creating a legal loophole for people’s phones, emails, and even social media communication to be monitored without permission from a judge (as stipulated by RICA);
- The Spy Bill does not adequately address the findings of the Matthews Commission (read more here)
- To read our full submission to Parliament on the General Intelligence Laws Amendment Bill, click here.
Timeline
| Topic | Date |
| Response from Department of State Security on public hearings | Tuesday 12 February 2013 |
| Deliberations on the GILAB | 22 & 26 February 2013 and 1 & 5 March 2013 |
| Consideration of Amendments | 8, 12 & 19 March 2013 |
| Adoption | 20 March 2013 |
How you or your organisation can get involved?
The Right2Know Campaign needs additional volunteers to track the GILAB through Parliament and report back to R2K structures and partners on its progress. To get involved, contact Vinayak Bhardwaj (bhardwajvinayak@gmail.com or 079-165-8873).
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