The Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill will be published by Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys next week.
The Bill has a number of worrisome initiatives aimed at giving the Gardai even more powers.
If the Bill is passed, the coalition government will create a specific new criminal offence of “password refusal”.
On conviction, a person refusing to give their password for a mobile phone or other device to gardaí will be committing a crime and could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to €30,000.
The most serious cases would be tried in indictment, before a judge and jury, where the most severe sanctions would apply reports Breakingnews.ie.
The Bill is also being used to bring in other powers for the Gardai.
Gardai will have, for the first time, the power to “arrest and detain” a person until the name and other identity details they have supplied to gardaí are verified as genuine.
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