The Security Service Act 1989 (c 5) is an Act of the
United Kingdom Parliament
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...
. The Act established a statutory basis of the
UK Security Service (MI5) for the first time. Prior to the Act, despite its operation since 1909, successive UK governments had denied the existence of MI5. The Act begins, "There shall continue to be a Security Service .."
The first section defines the function of the Service as
In the next paragraph it adds the further function, "to safeguard the economic well-being of the United Kingdom against threats posed by the actions or intentions of persons outside the British Islands."
The Act was amended by the
Security Service Act 1996 to include supporting the police and other law enforcement agencies in the prevention and detection of serious crime.
See also
*
David Maxwell Fyfe, 1st Earl of Kilmuir
*''
Spycatcher''
References
External links
*
Statutory Basis - MI5 - The Security Service
British intelligence agencies
United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1989
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