One of the most disturbing pieces of legislation in living memory is making its way through the UK Houses of Parliament.

If it becomes law — an increasingly likely prospect — this Covert Human Intelligence Sources bill (CHIS) will “authorise conduct by officials and agents of the security and intelligence services, law enforcement, and certain other public authorities, which would otherwise constitute criminality.”

In essence, the law would allow officials in a myriad of government departments and agencies to approve officers, agents, and assets to commit criminal offenses without any risk of being sued or prosecuted. The particular offenses that could be authorized are not listed in the bill. However, repeated amendments that sought to ensure at least some constraints — such as prohibiting the authorization of rape, torture or murder, or restricting the use of children and the vulnerable as assets authorized to commit crimes — have all been defeated.