Overview
- The Investigatory Powers Commissioner published a report on Thursday that found MI5 officers committed serious, systemic failings that led to false evidence being given to courts and that misled oversight bodies.
- Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she will take urgent action to hold MI5 to account and strengthen ministerial oversight after the report exposed repeated errors in how the service handled the Agent X case.
- MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum repeated an apology, said the service has spent 18 months improving policies and processes, and pointed to a major change programme already under way.
- MI5 previously settled a legal claim by an anonymised complainant known as Beth and paid compensation after the Investigatory Powers Tribunal found the service had given a false account that affected multiple court cases.
- The Investigatory Powers Commissioner said IPCO will monitor MI5’s change programme closely and report again if progress is insufficient while separate High Court proceedings connected to the case continue.