Police in Ireland are to be handed new powers, including the right to issue a fine of up to €30,000 to anyone who refuses to surrender an electronic

Irish police to be given powers to make people hand over passwords

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2021-06-14 20:00:03

Police in Ireland are to be handed new powers, including the right to issue a fine of up to €30,000 to anyone who refuses to surrender an electronic device’s password, according to new legislation in the Republic.

Due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions, more crime has migrated online – specifically to phones, computers and other devices – which are usually protected by personal logins. Gardaí (Irish police) sources reportedly told the Irish Times, this trend is expected to continue long after the pandemic, and that these new powers were considered “vital to strengthen searches”.

In another historic shift, officers in Ireland will for the first time be required to make a written record of a stop and search in a bid to collect data to analyse the measure’s use and effectiveness.

Other new processes include longer detention periods for the investigation of multiple offences, for a maximum of up to 48 hours, as well as a week’s detention for suspects in human trafficking offences – currently subject to a maximum of 24 hours.

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