Part 5: Equipment interference Section 109: Approval of warrants issued in urgent cases
This section sets out the process for issuing an equipment interference warrant in urgent cases. If the person issuing the warrant deems the warrant to be urgent then it can be issued without the approval of a Judicial Commissioner. Subsection (2) requires a Judicial Commissioner must be notified that the urgent warrant has been issued. Subsection (3) provides that the Commissioner must decide whether to approve the decision to issue the warrant within three working days.
	If the Judicial Commissioner refuses to approve the urgent warrant within the three day period then subsection (4) provides that the warrant ceases to have effect and may not be renewed. The Investigatory Powers Commissioner cannot be asked to reconsider a Judicial Commissioner’s decision to refuse an urgent warrant.