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Infiltration - Till vilket pris? En bedömning av infiltration ur ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv

Tovi, Wilhelm LU (2021) LAGF03 20212
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
This essay concerns the unconventional reconnaissance method of infiltration. Infiltration is a reconnaissance method that Swedish police has used in its law enforcement activities during many years, even though no section in Swedish law explicitly justifies its use. The purpose of this essay is therefore to investigate the legal basis of infiltration and whether this legal basis is in compliance with the rule of law. The term “rule of law” lacks a legal definition. There is however one common denominator in all the attempts that has been made to define the term: the requirement of predictability. This requirement states that all legal decisions taken in a state requires a legal basis. Each and everyone should be able to foresee how a... (More)
This essay concerns the unconventional reconnaissance method of infiltration. Infiltration is a reconnaissance method that Swedish police has used in its law enforcement activities during many years, even though no section in Swedish law explicitly justifies its use. The purpose of this essay is therefore to investigate the legal basis of infiltration and whether this legal basis is in compliance with the rule of law. The term “rule of law” lacks a legal definition. There is however one common denominator in all the attempts that has been made to define the term: the requirement of predictability. This requirement states that all legal decisions taken in a state requires a legal basis. Each and everyone should be able to foresee how a certain law may be implied. To achieve this, a law must be formulated in a clear and adequate manner.

Infiltration also lacks a legal definition. That alone is quite remarkable since it limits the possibility of an application of law that is conform with the requirement of predictability. That which can be ascertained is that infiltration consists of the retrieval of information. The infiltrator is either an officer of the law or an individual citizen under the immediate control of the police who infiltrates an establishment with the purpose of retrieving valuable information. The procedure must involve a certain level of deception that must be upheld during a timespan which is not too negligible. Furthermore, infiltration is associated with several tangible and serious risks. The infiltrator exposes himself to the danger of being exposed, risks putting himself in situations where he himself needs to commit criminal acts or makes himself guilty of unlawful entrapment and thereby risks violating art. 6 ECHR.

Despite the risks and problems associated with infiltration there is no explicit legal basis for its use, nor is there any clear frameworks which regulates the procedure itself. The method is instead justified by general empowerments in The Police Act (1984:387) which leave room for arbitrary decision making. Several general principles have been formulated in legislative history. However, they have never been incorporated in any law. It is impossible to claim that the current legislation of infiltration is in conformity with the rule of law. Additional legislation is most certainly necessary. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna uppsats behandlar den okonventionella spaningsmetoden infiltration. Infiltration är en spaningsmetod som svensk polis har använt i sin brottsbekämpande verksamhet under lång tid utan något uttryckligt lagstöd. Syftet med uppsatsen är att utreda infiltration ur ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv. Den rättsliga grunden för infiltration och de regler som ska beaktas vid dess användning ska utredas i ljuset av de krav som rättssäkerhetsbegreppet ställer på den rättsliga regleringen. Rättssäkerhet är ett tämligen svårdefinierat begrepp då någon allmänt accepterad definition inte finns. Det finns emellertid en gemensam nämnare i samtliga definitioner: förutsebarhetskravet. Rättsliga beslut ska ha stöd i lag och var och en ska kunna förutse hur... (More)
Denna uppsats behandlar den okonventionella spaningsmetoden infiltration. Infiltration är en spaningsmetod som svensk polis har använt i sin brottsbekämpande verksamhet under lång tid utan något uttryckligt lagstöd. Syftet med uppsatsen är att utreda infiltration ur ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv. Den rättsliga grunden för infiltration och de regler som ska beaktas vid dess användning ska utredas i ljuset av de krav som rättssäkerhetsbegreppet ställer på den rättsliga regleringen. Rättssäkerhet är ett tämligen svårdefinierat begrepp då någon allmänt accepterad definition inte finns. Det finns emellertid en gemensam nämnare i samtliga definitioner: förutsebarhetskravet. Rättsliga beslut ska ha stöd i lag och var och en ska kunna förutse hur en viss lag kan komma att tillämpas. För att det ska vara möjligt måste lagarna vara utformade på ett klart och adekvat sätt.

Även infiltration är ett begrepp som saknar en legaldefinition. Bara det får anses anmärkningsvärt då det begränsar möjligheten för en förutsebar rättstillämpning. Det som med säkerhet kan konstateras är att infiltration utgörs av informationsinhämtande verksamhet. En infiltratör är en polis eller en enskild medborgare under omedelbar ledning av polisen som tar sig in i en verksamhet i syfte att erhålla värdefull information. Förfarandet innefattar ett aktivt vilseledande som inte är alltför kortvarigt. Arbetsmetoden förknippas med flertalet allvarliga risker och problem. Som exempel kan nämnas att infiltratören utsätter sig själv för fara att avslöjas, riskerar att försätta sig i situationer där hen själv behöver begå brott eller göra sig skyldig till brottsprovokation och därmed kränka var och ens rätt till en rättvis rättegång.

Trots de risker och problem som metoden förknippas med saknas både uttryckligt lagstöd för dess användning och tydliga regelverk under förfarandets gång. I stället rättfärdigas metoden med allmänna bemyndiganden i Polislagen (1984:387) som lämnar utrymme för godtyckliga myndighetbedömningar. Vissa allmänna principer som ska beaktas vid användningen av infiltration har också tagits fram i förarbeten men dessa har aldrig inkorporerats i lag. Utan tydlig lagstiftning är det omöjligt att påstå att rättssäkerhetskravet är uppfyllt. Kompletterande lagstiftning är således nödvändig på området. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Tovi, Wilhelm LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20212
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Straffrätt, criminal law, infiltration, rättssäkerhet, rule of law
language
Swedish
id
9069571
date added to LUP
2022-02-15 11:50:21
date last changed
2022-02-15 11:50:21
@misc{9069571,
  abstract     = {{This essay concerns the unconventional reconnaissance method of infiltration. Infiltration is a reconnaissance method that Swedish police has used in its law enforcement activities during many years, even though no section in Swedish law explicitly justifies its use. The purpose of this essay is therefore to investigate the legal basis of infiltration and whether this legal basis is in compliance with the rule of law. The term “rule of law” lacks a legal definition. There is however one common denominator in all the attempts that has been made to define the term: the requirement of predictability. This requirement states that all legal decisions taken in a state requires a legal basis. Each and everyone should be able to foresee how a certain law may be implied. To achieve this, a law must be formulated in a clear and adequate manner. 

Infiltration also lacks a legal definition. That alone is quite remarkable since it limits the possibility of an application of law that is conform with the requirement of predictability. That which can be ascertained is that infiltration consists of the retrieval of information. The infiltrator is either an officer of the law or an individual citizen under the immediate control of the police who infiltrates an establishment with the purpose of retrieving valuable information. The procedure must involve a certain level of deception that must be upheld during a timespan which is not too negligible. Furthermore, infiltration is associated with several tangible and serious risks. The infiltrator exposes himself to the danger of being exposed, risks putting himself in situations where he himself needs to commit criminal acts or makes himself guilty of unlawful entrapment and thereby risks violating art. 6 ECHR. 

Despite the risks and problems associated with infiltration there is no explicit legal basis for its use, nor is there any clear frameworks which regulates the procedure itself. The method is instead justified by general empowerments in The Police Act (1984:387) which leave room for arbitrary decision making. Several general principles have been formulated in legislative history. However, they have never been incorporated in any law. It is impossible to claim that the current legislation of infiltration is in conformity with the rule of law. Additional legislation is most certainly necessary.}},
  author       = {{Tovi, Wilhelm}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Infiltration - Till vilket pris? En bedömning av infiltration ur ett rättssäkerhetsperspektiv}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}