| United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court | |
|---|---|
| (F.I.S.C.) | |
 | |
| Location | E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse |
| Appeals to | United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review |
| Established | October 25, 1978 |
| Authority | Article III court |
| Created by | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 50 U.S.C. §§ 1803–1805 |
| Composition method | Chief Justice appointment |
| Judges | 11 |
| Judge term length | 7 years |
| Presiding Judge | Anthony Trenga |
| www | |
The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), also called the FISA Court, is a U.S. federal court established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) to oversee requests for surveillance warrants against foreign spies inside the United States by federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
FISA was created by the U.S. Congress based on the recommendations of the Senate's Church Committee, which was convened in 1975 to investigate illicit activities and civil rights abuses by the federal intelligence community.[1] Pursuant to the law, the FISC reviews requests to conduct physical and electronic surveillance within the U.S. concerning "foreign intelligence information" between "foreign powers" and "agents of foreign powers" suspected of espionage or terrorism; such requests are made most often by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
From its opening in 1978 until 2009, the court was housed on the sixth floor of the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building;[2][3] since 2009, it has been relocated to the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse in Washington, D.C.[2][3]
- ^ Cohen, David B.; Wells, John Wilson (2004). American National Security and Civil Liberties in an Era of Terrorism. New York City: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 34. ISBN 978-1-403-96200-3.
- ^ a b Wilber, Del Quentin (March 2, 2009). "Surveillance Court Quietly Moving". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ a b Leonnig, Carol D.; Nakashima, Ellen; Gellman, Barton (June 29, 2013). "Secret-Court Judges Upset at Portrayal of 'Collaboration' with Government". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) "For about 30 years, the court was located on the sixth floor of the Justice Department's headquarters, down the hall from the officials who would argue in front of it. (The court moved to the District's federal courthouse in 2009.)"