Security News > 2021 > April > Supreme Court Asked to Give Access to Secretive Court’s Work
Civil liberties groups are asking the Supreme Court to give the public access to opinions of the secretive court that reviews bulk email collection, warrantless internet searches and other government surveillance programs.
The groups say in an appeal filed with the high court Monday that the public has a constitutional right to see significant opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
Olson is on the Knight institute's board and was the Bush administration's top Supreme Court lawyer as the FISA court's role was expanded after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court was established in 1978 to receive applications from the FBI to eavesdrop on people it suspects of being agents of a foreign power, such as potential spies or terrorists.
Legislation adopted in 2015 includes a provision that requires the government to consider releasing significant FISA court opinions.
Its response is due at the court by late May. The ACLU has been seeking the FISA court opinions for years, and the current case dates to 2016.