Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service (GCHQ) is a British intelligence agency that provides signals intelligence to the British government and armed forces. Prior to 1983 its existence was not acknowledged, despite the fact that it openly recruited graduates. Following a spy scandal in 1983, the organisation became known to the public, and the government of Margaret Thatcher decided a year later that employees would not be allowed to join a trade union for national security reasons. The Minister for the Civil Service is a position held "ex officio" by the Prime Minister. This was done through an Order in Council, an exercise of the Royal
Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service invariable practice of the executive as forming a basis for legitimate expectation. The case also shows that national security remains a political issue and not a legal one; it is not to be determined by a court. It summarises the scope of judicial review. In "R (Bancoult) v Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (No 2)", heard at the House of Lords, one of the matters decided was whether or not the courts could subject Orders in Council to judicial review. The Lords unanimously agreed that although Orders in Council were defined as "primary legislation" in the Human