Undercover agent and endangering basic Human Rights and freedoms with emphasis on the right to privacy

Abstract

Who are the undercover agents conducting "undercover investigations"? Can undercover agents go so far as to threaten basic human rights and freedoms? What is the attitude and practice of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the threat of basic human rights? What limits of legality should an undercover agent observe? These are, in short, the main coordinates within which this paper moves. Firstly, the engagement and activity of an undercover agent may be is seen as a "potential danger" when we talk about the violation and endangerment of the basic human rights and freedoms of members of a criminal group. The work also analyses the historical evolution of the undercover agents and focuses in particular on the national and international regulations that pertain to this activity. The paper also illustrates examples from the practice of the European Court of Human Rights and a current case of the British Tribunal for investigative powers.