Proactive police powers?

There may be cause for police to use ‘proactive investigation techniques’ in order to prevent terrorism. Experience from other Nordic countries has shown that such powers can be necessary to foil attacks. There can be no doubt that terrorist activity has been kept down by the use of proactive police powers.

No powers without court order

This was the reply given by Icelandic Prime Minister, Sig­mund­ur Davíð Gunn­laugs­son­, in the Icelandic Parliament (‘Alþingi’) yesterday to a question from Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir, MP for the Independence Party (‘Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn’). The subject under discussion was the recent report from the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police on possible terrorist threats in Iceland. Konráðsdóttir specifically asked about the PM’s position on proactive powers of investigation. Gunnlaugsson clarified that any such powers would need to be court-ordered.

Other issues must be solved first

These comments met with harsh criticism in Alþingi today from Helgi Hrafn Gunn­ars­son, MP for the Pirate Party (‘Píratar’).

Gunnarsson pointed out that almost all police requests for bugging operations were simply approved with no court protection governing the process. He also cited examples of citizens who refused to be searched being threatened with arrest. In Gunnarsson’s view, there can be no discussion on increased police powers until such issues have been resolved.