New Criminal Justice Bill 2016 Published

The new Criminal Justice (Offences relating to Information Systems) Bill 2016 has been published by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald.

"This important legislation aims to define criminal offences in the area of attacks against information systems and to establish effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for such offences," Minister Fitzgerald said.

The offences being created in the Bill focus on:

• unauthorised accessing of information systems,

• interference with information systems or with data on such systems,

• interception of transmission of data to or from information systems, and

• use of tools to facilitate the commission of these offences relating to information systems.

The offences carry sentences of up to 10 years imprisonment on conviction on indictment.

The Bill gives effect to provisions of Directive 2013/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 on attacks against information systems which replaced Council Framework Decision 2005/222/JHA.

The Directive aims to harmonise the criminal law of Member States in the area of attacks against information systems and to enhance cooperation between competent authorities, including police forces, in relation to such threats.

It recognises that attacks against information systems, and in particular attacks linked to organised crime, are a growing problem in the EU and globally, and that there is increasing concern regarding the potential for terrorist or politically motivated attacks against information systems which form part of the critical infrastructure of governments and the public and private sectors generally. The effects of such attacks can be very significant.

Minister Fitzgerald added: "It is of paramount importance that we seek to safeguard modern information and communication systems and to maintain users' confidence in the safety and reliability of such systems. This is arguably even more important and appropriate in Ireland which has become somewhat of a global cyber hub given the number of high tech IT and internet-based companies that have major operations here."

(MH/LM)