Irish Human Rights Body Weighs in on Police FRT Bill

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has weighed in on proposed legislation that would allow the country’s national police, the Garda, to use facial recognition technology for retrospective searches of CCTV footage.

The IHREC is an independent public body tasked with monitoring and ensuring compliance with human rights and equality standards in Ireland. It also provides guidance and oversight on related issues to both the government and the public.

Essentially, the rights body wants clear safeguards codified in the law, with Commission director Deirdre Malone asserting that the proposed legislation “represents a radical upturn in the policing powers” of the government.

“Therefore, it is vital that the proposed Act incorporates from the outset the necessary human rights and equality protections that are an essential part of our democracy and the rule of law,” Malone said.

The legislation, “General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2023”, was put forward in December, and framed as a response to violent and destructive riots in Dublin. Biometric data processing is restricted under Ireland’s Data Protection Act of 2018; the new bill would provide explicit authorization for the police to perform face searches based on a list of serious offenders.

It already includes certain safeguards, including a statutory code of practice that involves human rights impact assessments and judicial oversight.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has argued that the bill will free up human resources in police work, automating the arduous process of combing through security footage during investigations.

Source: Irish Legal News

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May 13, 2024 – by Alex Perala