F.i.s.c. (Noun)
Meaning
A secret federal court created in 1978 by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act; responsible for authorizing wiretaps and other forms of electronic surveillance and for authorizing searches of suspected spies and terrorists by the Department of Justice or United States intelligence agencies.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- FISC's decisions are typically classified, and they are rarely reviewed by higher courts.
- FISC has come under criticism for being a "rubber stamp" for government requests for surveillance.
- The 2001 Patriot Act has given FISC a greatly expanded role in national security cases.
- Critics of FISC argue that it is too secretive and that its proceedings are one-sided.
- In rare cases, FISC has rejected US government requests for surveillance warrants.