Part 8: Oversight arrangements Chapter 2: Other arrangements Schedule 7: Codes of practice
Paragraph 1 requires the Secretary of State to issues codes of practice in respect of the exercise of functions under the Act, but not in relation to any functions conferred on certain persons where this would not be appropriate, such as the Technical Advisory Board, courts and tribunals or oversight bodies.
	Paragraph 2 specifies that each code of practice must include provisions designed to protect the confidentiality of journalistic sources. The codes must also set out particular considerations which should be applied to data relating to a member of a profession which would regularly hold legally privileged or other confidential information, such as medical professionals, those in the legal profession or parliamentarians. A code about targeted interception or equipment interference and bulk interception or equipment interference, must contain detail about what circumstances are to be regarded as "exceptional and compelling" in the context of such circumstances allowing items subject to legal privilege to be deliberately obtained or selected for examination. The IPC must keep such detail contained in the codes under review.
	Paragraph 3 requires the code of practice concerning the functions in Part 3 of the Act to include provisions about communications data acquired under that Part and held by public authorities. The code of practice must provide, in particular, for why, how, and where the data is held, who may access the data, disclosure of the data, and the processing and destruction of the data.
	Paragraph 4 sets out the procedural requirements which must be followed by the Secretary of State in making a code of practice. The Secretary of State must consult on any draft code of practice and may modify a code on the basis of representations made after its publication in daft. The Secretary of State must specifically consult the IPC on all draft codes, and the Information Commissioner on a code of practice concerning Part 4. A code will come into force in accordance with regulations made by the Secretary of State, which must be laid in draft before Parliament and approved by each House. Paragraph 5 allows the Secretary of State to make revisions to a code of practice, and sets out the procedural requirements for doing so, which reflect those for making a new code of practice.
	Paragraph 6 sets out the effect of a code of practice issued by the Secretary of State. Any person exercising any function to which a code relates must have regard to the code. Failure to comply with the code does not, of itself, make a person liable to criminal or civil proceedings, but the code is admissible in evidence in any such legal proceedings and a court or tribunal may take a person’s failure to comply with the code into account. The IPC, Information Commissioner and the Investigatory Powers Tribunal can also take into account such a failure.