Financial Times
By Edward Alden in Washington
A US court has struck down significant provisions of the USA Patriot Act, the law adopted in the wake of the September 11 attacks to give the government powerful tools for investigating suspected terrorists.
In a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the US district court in New York on Wednesday ruled that government investigators could not force telecommunications companies and internet service providers to turn over their records without allowing for court reviews of the subpoenas.
The court also struck down controversial language that had imposed a blanket secrecy requirement on anyone receiving such an order.
Critics of the Patriot Act have called it by far the most significant legal victory in a two-year battle to strike down portions of the act they believe are eroding US civil liberties. "This is a landmark victory against the Ashcroft Justice Department's misguided attempt to intrude into the lives of innocent Americans in the name of national security," said Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, referring to John Ashcroft, the attorney-general.
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