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Polisiär brottsprevention i rättsstaten – Kan inhämtning i underrättelseverksamhet förenas med rättssäkerhet och rättstrygghet?

Ignell, Annika LU (2018) JURM02 20182
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The law on retrieval of data allows a secret coercive measure that enables the police to gather information about electronic communication for intelligence purpose. The aim of this thesis is to study how the requirements set in a state led by the rule of law, such as predictability in legal matters and sufficient safeguards against misuse, are satisfied in the law on retrieval of data, in relation to the right to respect for private life. The thesis further aims to study how the balancing between the safeguards and the interest of efficient crime prevention is made and how the development of secret coercive measures can be expected to be affected by technical development, assumed threats and politics. In the thesis, the safeguards in the... (More)
The law on retrieval of data allows a secret coercive measure that enables the police to gather information about electronic communication for intelligence purpose. The aim of this thesis is to study how the requirements set in a state led by the rule of law, such as predictability in legal matters and sufficient safeguards against misuse, are satisfied in the law on retrieval of data, in relation to the right to respect for private life. The thesis further aims to study how the balancing between the safeguards and the interest of efficient crime prevention is made and how the development of secret coercive measures can be expected to be affected by technical development, assumed threats and politics. In the thesis, the safeguards in the law on retrieval of data are studied in relation to the safeguards found in other Swedish legislation regarding secret coercive measures. The law is also studied in relation to the safeguards deemed necessary by the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to measures limiting the right to freedom from intrusion in private life. The domestic law allowing secret surveillance measures must, according to the European Court of Human Rights, be sufficiently clear in its terms to give citizens an adequate indication of the conditions and circumstances in which the authorities are empowered to resort to any such measures. It also has to ensure sufficient safeguards regarding misuse. The area of secret coercive measures is also to a large extent affected by technical development. Technical development also affects the amount and nature of the information possible to retrieve by a secret coercive measure.

The study concludes that the law on retrieval of data has not got sufficient safeguards in regard to what is required in a state led by the rule of law and the requirements stemming from European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The problem oriented, forward looking nature of intelligence creates difficult considerations regarding the predictability and precision of the law. Concerning the safeguards against misuse, the decision of information gathering is not subject to prior review by a judicial authority or an independent administrative authority, and which group of people who can be subject of the secret coercive measure is not defined. Efficiency in crime prevention is often prioritized over the rights of the individual and sufficient safeguards, in the balancing between the interests. Technical development appears to be seen only as a motive to expand the area of secret coercive measures and not to limit the use of them. The penal political trends indicate that the repressive development of secret coercive measures will continue. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Inhämtning enligt inhämtningslagen är ett hemligt tvångsmedel som ger polisen möjlighet att inhämta uppgifter om elektronisk kommunikation i underrättelseverksamhet. Syftet med denna framställning är att studera hur rättsstatliga principer som rättssäkerhet och rättstrygghet tillgodoses vid utformningen av förutsättningarna för inhämtning av uppgifter enligt inhämtningslagen i relation till det lagstadgade skyddet för personlig integritet. Framställningen syftar vidare till att studera hur dessa intressen vägs mot intresset av en effektiv brottsbekämpning samt hur utvecklingen av hemliga tvångsmedel, med inhämtningslagen i fokus, påverkas och kan komma att påverkas av teknisk utveckling, hotbilder och politik. I studien analyseras... (More)
Inhämtning enligt inhämtningslagen är ett hemligt tvångsmedel som ger polisen möjlighet att inhämta uppgifter om elektronisk kommunikation i underrättelseverksamhet. Syftet med denna framställning är att studera hur rättsstatliga principer som rättssäkerhet och rättstrygghet tillgodoses vid utformningen av förutsättningarna för inhämtning av uppgifter enligt inhämtningslagen i relation till det lagstadgade skyddet för personlig integritet. Framställningen syftar vidare till att studera hur dessa intressen vägs mot intresset av en effektiv brottsbekämpning samt hur utvecklingen av hemliga tvångsmedel, med inhämtningslagen i fokus, påverkas och kan komma att påverkas av teknisk utveckling, hotbilder och politik. I studien analyseras inhämtningslagens skyddsmekanismer i förhållande till de skyddsmekanismer som är befintliga i övrig tvångsmedelslagstiftning samt de krav på skyddsmekanismer som utarbetats i Europarättslig och i EU-rättslig praxis rörande inskränkning i skyddet för den personliga integriteten. Lagen som medger inskränkningen ska vara tillfredsställande preciserad avseende personkrets och brott. Den ska också innehålla ett godtagbart skydd mot missbruk. Området hemliga tvångsmedel påverkas i stor utsträckning av teknisk utveckling. Behovet av tvångsmedlen, förutsättningarna för användningen samt vilken information som är möjlig att inhämta styrs till viss del av utvecklingen.

Studiens slutsatser är att de rättssäkerhets- och rättstrygghetsgarantier som krävs enligt praxis och rättsstatliga principer inte tillgodoses i inhämtningslagen. I framställningen konstateras att användning av hemliga tvångsmedel i den problemorienterade, framåtblickande underrättelverksamheten, skapar problem i förhållande till den grad av förutsebarhet rättssäkerhet kräver. Det straffrättspolitiska intresset av en effektiv brottsprevention förefaller också få företräde framför rättstrygghetsmekanismer. Bland annat tas beslut om inhämtning av den inhämtade myndigheten själv, personkretsen är inte preciserad och det finns ingen möjlighet för den enskilde att överklaga ett inhämtningsbeslut. Polisen konstateras ha blivit navet i den brottspreventiva verksamheten. Straffrättspolitiken kan sägas till viss del ha frångått det klassiska rättsstatsideal som tidigare präglat denna och numera intagit en mer offensiv och preventiv roll. Den tekniska utvecklingen förefaller enbart utgöra incitament för utvidgning och inte översyn samt eventuell begränsning av de hemliga tvångsmedlens användningsområde. Avseende utvecklingen talar det straffrättspolitiska klimatet för en ytterligare expansion och repressiv utveckling av tvångsmedlen. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Ignell, Annika LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Crime prevention and the rule of law – Is retrieval of data in intelligence compatible with the rule of law?
course
JURM02 20182
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
straffrätt, straffprocessrätt, hemliga tvångsmedel, underrättelseverksamhet
language
Swedish
id
8965979
date added to LUP
2019-01-28 11:31:37
date last changed
2019-01-28 11:31:37
@misc{8965979,
  abstract     = {{The law on retrieval of data allows a secret coercive measure that enables the police to gather information about electronic communication for intelligence purpose. The aim of this thesis is to study how the requirements set in a state led by the rule of law, such as predictability in legal matters and sufficient safeguards against misuse, are satisfied in the law on retrieval of data, in relation to the right to respect for private life. The thesis further aims to study how the balancing between the safeguards and the interest of efficient crime prevention is made and how the development of secret coercive measures can be expected to be affected by technical development, assumed threats and politics. In the thesis, the safeguards in the law on retrieval of data are studied in relation to the safeguards found in other Swedish legislation regarding secret coercive measures. The law is also studied in relation to the safeguards deemed necessary by the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union in relation to measures limiting the right to freedom from intrusion in private life. The domestic law allowing secret surveillance measures must, according to the European Court of Human Rights, be sufficiently clear in its terms to give citizens an adequate indication of the conditions and circumstances in which the authorities are empowered to resort to any such measures. It also has to ensure sufficient safeguards regarding misuse. The area of secret coercive measures is also to a large extent affected by technical development. Technical development also affects the amount and nature of the information possible to retrieve by a secret coercive measure.

The study concludes that the law on retrieval of data has not got sufficient safeguards in regard to what is required in a state led by the rule of law and the requirements stemming from European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. The problem oriented, forward looking nature of intelligence creates difficult considerations regarding the predictability and precision of the law. Concerning the safeguards against misuse, the decision of information gathering is not subject to prior review by a judicial authority or an independent administrative authority, and which group of people who can be subject of the secret coercive measure is not defined. Efficiency in crime prevention is often prioritized over the rights of the individual and sufficient safeguards, in the balancing between the interests. Technical development appears to be seen only as a motive to expand the area of secret coercive measures and not to limit the use of them. The penal political trends indicate that the repressive development of secret coercive measures will continue.}},
  author       = {{Ignell, Annika}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Polisiär brottsprevention i rättsstaten – Kan inhämtning i underrättelseverksamhet förenas med rättssäkerhet och rättstrygghet?}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}