A group of peers and MPs told the UK government that plans to overhaul espionage laws risk an “unnecessary interference with human rights”.
Changes to the National Security Bill “go too far”, said the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR), and put freedom of speech at risk.
The committee called on ministers to make amendments to the proposals and ensure there can be adequate checks on how it is used.
The bill has been described as the biggest overhaul of security legislation for a generation and is expected to provide the security services with greater powers to tackle threats from spies and state-backed sabotage, as well as reform espionage laws like the Official Secrets Act to better tackle threats from hostile states such as Russia and China.
It will, for the first time, make it an offence to be an undeclared foreign spy in the UK and introduce a foreign interference offence to disrupt illegitimate influence activity done for, or on behalf of, a foreign state.
The new powers could help crack down on cases like that of the suspected Chinese spy Christine Lee who was accused of targeting politicians, according to Whitehall officials.
This year, MI5 issued a rare security alert, telling MPs that Ms Lee, a prominent London-based solicitor, had engaged in “political interference activities” on behalf of China’s ruling communist government.
But according to the committee’s findings, the bill “risks unnecessary interference with human rights by overextending powers relating to espionage offences and criminalising behaviour that does not pose a threat to national security.”
“It is right that legislation governing espionage offence be updated to better reflect the reality of the world in the 21st century,” said committee chairwoman Joanna Cherry.
“However, in its current guise the National Security Bill goes too far, with offences whose breadth puts at risk freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, an unnecessary extension of criminal immunity and measures that undermine the key principle of equal access to justice,” she said.
“We call on the government to revisit the bill and bring forward amendments to ensure that it protects national security without needlessly criminalising actions that pose no risk to it.
“It must also remove necessary impediments to the access of legal aid and damages to ensure that fundamental principles of justice and human rights are protected.”
The report comes as another element of the bill, which will make clandestine political activity by foreign agents illegal in the UK, was introduced to Parliament.
Anyone working for a foreign power will have to sign a register declaring who they are working for or face up to two years in jail under the plans.
The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), which is similar to rules already in force in the United States and Australia, aims to protect the UK’s institutions from secret efforts by foreign powers to influence them.
The bill will create offences for acts of sabotage and foreign interference and make it easier to disrupt perpetrators preparing to carry out such crimes.
Courts will also be given greater powers to hand down longer sentences for foreign state backed crimes under the proposals.
It is understood very few prosecutions take place under current espionage laws, but it is hoped this will increase if the new measures are adopted, as well as acting as a deterrent.
Where prosecutions are not realistic, Asbo-style restrictions on movements and travel, and where suspects can live and work, called State Threat Prevention and Investigation Measures (Stpims) could be used as a “last resort”.
These are similar to orders placed on a small number of terrorism suspects known as Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpims), where the person in question is monitored by the police and MI5 and any breach of the restrictions is treated as a criminal offence.
The measures could also block terrorists from receiving civil damages payouts which could be used to fund their crimes.
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
