Germany’s top court hears lawsuit, mulls stricter limits on BND spy agency’s powers

Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court is considering imposing stricter limits on the activities of Berlin’s foreign intelligence agency.

The Karlsruhe-based court was on Tuesday due to hear a lawsuit brought by a group of journalists and a human rights lawyer against a new law regulating the powers of the BND spy agency. The court is expected to hold two days of hearings and deliver a verdict in the coming months.

The plaintiffs, including Reporters Without Borders, say the 2017 law potentially exposes journalists to surveillance without due cause, such as when making phone calls with foreign colleagues, AP reports.

The German government argues that additional limits on the agency’s powers would make it harder to respond to potential threats.