An intelligence sharing regime between British and US security services was unlawful, a surveillance watchdog has ruled.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), which deals with complaints against GCHQ, MI5 and MI6, found that intercepted communications were provided to Britain’s listening post GCHQ in breach of human rights laws.

However, during the proceedings leading up to the judgment, the government revealed details of the legal framework governing the bulk interception and intelligence sharing regime — and by doing so had now made it compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights, the IPT said.