Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011
This is the most recent text the official source publishes. It is not a snapshot of the law as it stood on the date of each change.
11 amending acts · 2025-04-02, revised-IE-2011-act-3@2025-04-02
Act to give effect to Directive No. 2006/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the retention of data generated or processed in connection with the provision of publicly available electronic communications services or of public communications networks and amending Directive 2002/58/EC, to provide for the retention of and access to certain data for the purposes of the prevention of serious offences, the safeguarding of the security of the State and the saving of human life, to repeal Part 7 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, to amend the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 and to provide for related matters
- (b) such data stored, retained or otherwise within the possession or control of a service provider under a contractual obligation or pursuant to a court order, other than a order under section 3A or a preservation order under section 7A(4), and
- (c) such data, not referred to in paragraphs (a) or (b), being data that the applicant is legally entitled to request, as may be specified by the authorising judge in the production order.
- (10) An application under this section shall—
- (a) be made ex parte,
- (b) be upon information on oath, specifying the grounds on which the order is sought,
- (c) specify, by reference to the criteria specified in subsection (12), the terms of the order sought, and
- (d) be heard otherwise than in public.
- (11) A production order under this section shall, while it is in effect, require the service provider specified in the order to produce, as soon as is practicable, to the person specified in the order the Schedule 2 data that in his or her possession or control on the date on which the order is served upon him or her—
- (a) of such category or categories as are, in accordance with subsection (4) or (9), specified in the order,
- (b) such class or classes as are specified in the order, and
- (c) subject to such conditions and directions as may be specified in the order.
- (12) For the purposes of subsection (11)(a), an authorising judge may specify a class or classes of Schedule 2 data by reference to one or more of the following:
- (a) a particular location or locations;
- (b) a particular geographical area or areas;
- (c) a particular period of time;
- (d) a particular means of communication;
- (e) a particular person or particular persons;
- (f) such other matter or feature as the authorising judge considers appropriate.
- (13) Where a production order is made under this section, the applicant concerned shall, without delay, cause the order to be served on the service provider specified in the order.
- (14) A service provider on whom a production order is served shall comply with the order.]
7D. F45[Temporary Production Order in respect of certain Schedule 2 data in case of urgency
7D.— (1) Subject to this section, a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of inspector may apply to a superior officer for a temporary production order under subsection (3) where the member believes on reasonable grounds that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of section 7C(1) applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) it is likely that, before the Schedule 2 data could be obtained pursuant to a production order under section 7C—
- (i) the data would be wholly or partly destroyed or otherwise rendered unavailable, or
- (ii) the security of the State would be compromised.
- (2) Subject to this section, a member of the Permanent Defence Force not below the rank of commandant may apply to a superior officer for a temporary production order under subsection (3) where the member believes on reasonable grounds that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of section 7C(2) applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) it is likely that, before the Schedule 2 data could be obtained pursuant to a production order under section 7C—
- (i) the data would be wholly or partly destroyed or otherwise rendered unavailable, or
- (ii) the security of the State would be likely to be compromised.
- (3) A superior officer to whom an application under subsection (1) or (2) is made shall make a temporary production order under this subsection only if satisfied that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1) or (2), as the case may be, applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) the issuing of the order is necessary for, and proportionate to, the purposes for which the application is made.
- (4) A temporary production order under subsection (3) may be made in respect of Schedule 2 data within the following categories:
- (a) such data stored by a service provider on the basis of Articles 5, 6 and 9 of Directive 2002/589;
- (b) such data stored, retained or otherwise within the possession or control of a service provider under a contractual obligation or pursuant to a court order, including an order under section 3A or a preservation order under this Act, and
- (c) such data, not referred to in paragraphs (a) or (b), being data that the applicant is legally entitled to request, as may be specified by the superior officer in the temporary production order.
- (5) Subject to this section, a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of inspector may apply to a superior officer for a temporary production order under subsection (8) where the member believes on reasonable grounds that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of section 7C(5) applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) it is likely that, before the Schedule 2 data could be obtained pursuant to a preservation order under section 7C—
- (i) the data would be wholly or partly destroyed or otherwise rendered F46[unavailable, or]
- (ii) the achievement of an objective specified in section 7C(5)(b) would be F46[impeded.]
- (iii) F47[…]
- (6) Subject to this section, an officer of the Revenue Commissioners not below the rank of assistant principal officer may apply to a superior officer for a temporary production order under subsection (8) where the officer believes on reasonable grounds that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of section 7C(6) applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) it is likely that, before the Schedule 2 data could be obtained pursuant to a production order under section 7C—
- (i) the data would be wholly or partly destroyed or otherwise rendered unavailable, or
- (ii) the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of a revenue offence would be impeded.
- F48[(7) Subject to this section, an officer of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission not below the rank of assistant principal officer may apply to a superior officer for a temporary production order under subsection (8) where the officer believes on reasonable grounds that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of section 7C(7) applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) it is likely that, before the Schedule 2 data could be obtained pursuant to a production order under section 7C—
- (i) the data would be wholly or partly destroyed or otherwise rendered unavailable, or
- (ii) the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of a competition offence would be impeded.]
- (8) A superior officer to whom an application under subsection (5), (6) or (7) is made shall make a temporary production order under this subsection only if satisfied that—
- (a) paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (5), (6) or (7), as the case may be, applies to the Schedule 2 data in respect of which the application is made, and
- (b) the issuing of the order is necessary for, and proportionate to, the purposes for which the application is made.
- (9) A temporary production order under subsection (8) may be made in respect of Schedule 2 data within the following categories:
- (a) such data stored by a service provider on the basis of Articles 5, 6 and 9 of Directive 2002/5810;
- (b) such data stored, retained or otherwise within the possession or control of a service provider under a contractual obligation or pursuant to a court order, other than an order under section 3A or a preservation order under section 7A(4), and
- (c) such data, not referred to in paragraphs (a) or (b), being data that the applicant is legally entitled to request, as may be specified by the superior officer in the temporary production order.
- (10) A temporary production order under this section shall, while it is in effect, require the service provider specified in the order to produce to the person specified in the order the Schedule 2 data in his or her possession or control on the date on which the order is served on him or her—
- (a) of such category or categories as are, in accordance with subsection (4) or (9), specified in the order,
- (b) of such class or classes as are specified in the order, and
- (c) subject to such conditions and directions as may be specified in the order.
- (11) For the purposes of subsection (10)(a), a superior officer may specify a class or classes of relevant data by reference to one or more of the following:
- (a) a particular location or locations;
- (b) a particular geographical area or areas;
- (c) a particular period of time, not being more than 90 days, whether starting from the date on which the order is made or such future date as is specified in the order;
- (d) a particular means of communication;
- (e) a particular person or particular persons;
- (f) such other matter or feature as the superior officer considers appropriate.
- (12) A superior officer shall, not later than 8 hours after he or she makes an order under this section, prepare a record in writing of the order in such form as may be prescribed.
- (13)
- (a) A superior officer shall, not later than 7 days after he or she makes an order under this section, prepare a report in relation to the making of the order.
- (b) The record prepared in accordance with subsection (12) in relation to an order shall be included in the report prepared under this section in relation to that order.
- (14) A report prepared under subsection (13) shall:
- (a) in relation to an order made pursuant to an application under subsection (1) or (5), be submitted by the superior officer concerned to a member of the Garda Síochána not below the rank of chief superintendent;
- (b) in relation to an order made pursuant to an application under subsection (2), be submitted by the superior officer concerned to a member of the Permanent Defence Force not below the rank of colonel;
- (c) in relation to an order made pursuant to an application under subsection (6), be submitted by the superior officer concerned to an officer of the Revenue Commissioners not below the rank of assistant secretary general;
- F48[(d) in relation to an order made pursuant to an application under subsection (7), be submitted by the superior officer concerned to an officer of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission not below the rank of member of the Commission.]
- (15) Subject to subsection (21), a superior officer shall, as soon as practicable and, in any event, not later than 72 hours after he or she makes an order under this section, apply to an authorising judge for affirmation of the order.
- (16) An application under subsection (15) for affirmation of an order shall—
- (a) be made F46[ex parte,]
- (b) be upon information on oath, specifying the reasons for which the order was F46[made, and]
- F49[(c) be heard otherwise than in public.]
- (17) An authorising judge, on hearing an application under subsection (15), shall consider whether the order was necessary for, and proportionate to, the purposes for which it was issued and may—
- (a) affirm,
- (b) vary, or
- (c) revoke,
the order.
- (18) An authorising judge who revokes, under subsection (17)(c), an order may, where he or she considers it reasonable to do so, apply to the referee referred to in section 10 to conduct an investigation under that section in relation to the matter.
- (19) An application for an order under this section shall not be made to a superior officer who has had any involvement in the investigation, detection or prevention of—
- (a) threat or apprehended threat to the security of the State, or
- (b) serious offence, revenue offence or competition offence,
that occasioned the making of the application and, accordingly, such a superior officer shall not consider such an application or make an order upon such an application.
- (20) Subject to subsection (21), an order under this section shall cease to have effect upon the expiration of 72 hours from the making of the order, or such shorter period as the superior officer may specify in the order.
- (21) Where, due to exceptional circumstances that are beyond his or her control, a superior officer is unable to make an application under subsection (15) within the period specified in that subsection, he or she—
- (a) may extend the period during which the order concerned shall have effect by such further period as he or she considers necessary for, and proportionate to, the purpose for which the order was made, provided that the total period during which an order to which this subsection applies shall have effect shall not exceed 96 hours from the making of the order, and
- (b) where he or she extends under paragraph (a) the period during which the order shall have effect, shall make an application under subsection (15) before the order ceases to have effect.
- (22) Where a temporary production order is made under this section, the applicant concerned shall, without delay, cause the order to be served on the service provider specified in the order.
- (23) A service provider on whom a temporary production order is served shall comply with the order.]
8. Processing for other purpose.
8.— Where all or part of the period specified in a data retention request coincides with the period during which any of the data specified in the request may, in accordance with law, be processed for purposes other than those specified in the request, nothing in section 6 shall prevent those data from being processed for those other purposes.
9. Statistics.
9.— (1) The Garda Commissioner shall prepare and submit a report to the Minister in respect of data specified in Schedule 2 that were the subject of all F50[disclosure requirements made by a member of the Garda Síochána under section 6(1), 6F(1), F51[7C or 7D]] during the relevant period.
- (2) The Chief of Staff of the Permanent Defence Force shall prepare and submit a report to the Minister for Defence in respect of data specified in Schedule 2 that were the subject of all F50[disclosure requirements made under section 6(2), 6F(1), F51[7C or 7D]] during the relevant period.
- (3) The Revenue Commissioners shall prepare and submit a report to the Minister for Finance in respect of data specified in Schedule 2 that were the subject of all F50[disclosure requirements made under section 6(3), 6F(1), F51[7C or 7D]] during the relevant period.
- F52[(3A) The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission shall prepare and submit a report to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in respect of data specified in Schedule 2 that were the subject of all F50[disclosure requirements made under section 6(4), 6F(1), F51[7C or 7D]] during the relevant period.]
- (4) A report under F53[subsection (1), (2), (3) or (3A)] shall be submitted as soon as is practicable after the end of the relevant period.
- (5) The report shall include—
- (a) the number of times when data had been disclosed in response to a F50[disclosure requirement],
- (b) the number of times when a F50[disclosure requirement] could not be met,
- (c) the average period of time between the date on which the retained data were first processed and the F51[date on which the disclosure requirement was made].
- (6) The Minister for Defence shall review the report submitted under subsection (2) and shall forward it to the Minister, along with any comments that he or she may have with respect to it.
- (7) The Minister for Finance shall review the report submitted under subsection (3) and shall forward it to the Minister, along with any comments that he or she may have with respect to it.
- F52[(7A) The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation shall review the report submitted under subsection (3A) and shall forward it to the Minister, along with any comments that he or she may have with respect to it.]
- (8) The Minister, on receipt of the report submitted under subsection (1) and the reports forwarded to him or her under F53[subsections (6), (7) and (7A)] shall review the reports and the comments and shall prepare a State report that consolidates those reports and submit it to the European Commission.
- (9) A State report shall be submitted as soon as is practicable after the end of the relevant period.
- (10) The State report shall include the matters referred to in subsection (5).
- (11) For the purposes of this section, “relevant period” means—
- (a) the period beginning on the day on which this Act commences and ending on the 31 December next following that day, and
- (b) each successive 12 month period.
10. Complaints procedure.
10.— (1) A contravention of F54[section 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 7C or 7D] in relation to a F54[disclosure requirement] shall not of itself render that disclosure request invalid or constitute a cause of action at the suit of a person affected by the F54[disclosure requirement], but any such contravention shall be subject to investigation in accordance with the subsequent provisions of this section and nothing in this subsection shall affect a cause of action for the infringement of a constitutional right.
- (2) A person who believes that data that relate to the person and that are in the possession of a service provider have been accessed following a F54[disclosure requirement] may apply to the Referee for an investigation into the matter.
- (3) If an application is made under this section (other than one appearing to the Referee to be frivolous or vexatious), the Referee shall investigate—
- (a) whether a F54[disclosure requirement] was made as alleged in the application, and
- (b) if so, whether any provision of F54[section 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 7C or 7D] has been contravened in relation to the F54[disclosure requirement].
- (4) If, after investigating the matter, the Referee concludes that a provision of F54[section 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 6F, 7C or 7D] has been contravened, the Referee shall—
- (a) notify the applicant in writing of that conclusion, and
- (b) make a report of the Referee’s findings to the Taoiseach.
- (5) In addition, in the circumstances specified in subsection (4), the Referee may, if he or she thinks fit, by order do either or both of the following—
F55[(a) direct An Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Force, the Revenue Commissioners or the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to destroy the relevant data and any copies of the data,]
- (b) make a recommendation for the payment to the applicant of such sum by way of compensation as may be specified in the order.
- (6) The Minister shall implement any recommendation under subsection (5) (b).
- (7) If, after investigating the matter, the Referee concludes that section 6 has not been contravened, the Referee shall notify the applicant in writing to that effect.
- (8) A decision of the Referee under this section is final.
- (9) For the purpose of an investigation under this section, the Referee is entitled to access, and has the power to inspect, any official documents or records relating to the relevant application.
- (10) Any person who was concerned in, or has information relevant to, the making of a F54[disclosure requirement] in respect of which an application is made under this section shall give the Referee, on his or her request, such information relating to F56[the requirement] as is in the person’s possession.
11. Amendment of section 8 (Review of operation of Act by judge of High Court) of Act of 1993.
11.— Section 8 of the Act of 1993 is amended by the substitution of the following for subsection (1):
“(1) The President of the High Court shall from time to time after consulting with the Minister invite a person who is a judge of the High Court to undertake (while serving as such a judge) the duties specified in this section and section 12 of the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011 and, if the invitation is accepted, the Government shall designate the judge for the purposes of this Act and the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011.
(1A) Subsection (1) does not affect the functions of the Data Protection Commissioner under section 10 of the Data Protection Act 1988.”.
12. Duties of designated judge in relation to this Act.
F57[12.— (1) The Independent Examiner shall undertake the duties specified in this section.
- (2) The Independent Examiner shall ascertain whether An Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Force, the Revenue Commissioners and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission are complying with this Act.
- (3) For the purpose of performing his or her functions under this section, the Independent Examiner—
- (a) has the power to examine any case in which a disclosure request is made, and
- (b) may access and inspect any official documents or records relating to the request.
- (4) Without prejudice to section 242 of the Act of 2024, any person who was concerned in, or has information relevant to, the preparation or making of a disclosure request shall give the Independent Examiner, on his or her request, such information relating to the disclosure request as is in the person’s possession.
- (5) The Independent Examiner may, if he or she considers it desirable to do so, communicate with the Taoiseach or the Minister concerning disclosure requests and with the Data Protection Commissioner in connection with the functions of the Data Protection Commissioner under the Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018.
- (6) Nothing in this section shall affect the functions of the Data Protection Commissioner under the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018.
- (7) In this section—
"Act of 2024" means the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024;
"Data Protection Regulation" means Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 20162 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation);
"Independent Examiner" has the same meaning as it has in the Act of 2024.]
12A. F58[Offences
12A.— (1) A person who contravenes F59[section] 3(1), 3A(7), 3B(1), 6(8), 6F(2), 7A(15), 7B(23), 7C(14) or 7D(23) shall be guilty of an offence.
- (2) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—
- (a) on summary conviction, to a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or both, or
- (b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €500,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both.
- (3) In proceedings for an offence under subsection (1), it shall be a defence for a person against whom such proceedings are brought to prove that the person took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of the offence.
- (4) Where an offence under this section is committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to be attributable to any neglect on the part of, a person being a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate or a person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, that person, as well as the body corporate, shall be guilty of that offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished as if he or she were guilty of the first-mentioned offence.]
12B. F60[Amendment of Schedule 2
12B.— (1) The Minister may, following consultation with the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and in accordance with this section, by regulation amend Schedule 2, where he or she is satisfied that it is necessary to do so in order to ensure that the matters specified in the Schedule adequately reflect developments in electronic communications technology and include data transmitted by means of such technology.
- (2) The Minister in exercising the power under subsection (1), may consult with such persons possessing expertise in the area of electronic communications technology as he or she considers appropriate.]
12C. F61[Guidelines
12C.— The Minister may issue guidelines—
- (a) to persons with respect to the making of applications under sections 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D, and
- (b) to facilitate compliance by service providers with preservation and production orders.]
12D. F62[Retention of data
12D.— A service provider who is required under section 3(1), 3A(5), 3B(1), 7A(11) or 7B(10) to retain or, as may be appropriate, preserve data shall retain or preserve, as the case may be, those data—
- (a) in such a way that they may be disclosed without undue delay pursuant to a disclosure request, and
- (b) in accordance with regulations, if any, under section 12F(2)(a).]
12E. F63[Criteria for specification of geographic area
12E.— A person who, under a provision of this Act, specifies a class or classes of Schedule 2 data by reference to a particular geographical area or areas, shall do so by reference to criteria that are objective and non-discriminatory and, for that purpose, shall have regard to the criteria specified in regulations under section 12F(2)(b) (if any).]
12F. F64[Regulations
12F.— (1) The Minister may by regulations provide for any matter referred to in this Act as prescribed or to be prescribed.
- (2) The Minister may by regulations provide for one or more of the following:
- (a) the technical requirements to be met by a person who is obliged under this Act to retain or preserve data, including the requirements to be met so as to ensure that data so retained or preserved, when required under this Act to be disclosed—
- (i) may be disclosed without delay, and
- (ii) are of sufficient quality to be used for the purposes for which the disclosure is required;
- (b) the criteria, which shall be objective and non-discriminatory, to which a person shall have regard when specifying a class or classes of Schedule 2 data by reference to a particular geographic area, which may include:
- (i) the rate of crime in an area;
- (ii) the number of persons normally present in the area;
- (iii) the presence in the area of strategic infrastructure;
- F65[(c) the procedures for making a requirement under section 6 or 6F and for making an application under section 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 7A, 7B, 7C or 7D.]
- (3) Without prejudice to any provision of this Act, regulations under this section may contain such incidental, supplementary and consequential provisions as appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of the regulations.
- (4) Every regulation made by the Minister under this Act shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made and, if a resolution annulling the regulation is passed by either such House within the next 21 days on which that House sits after the regulation is laid before it, the regulation shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.]
12G. F66[Notification of data subject
12G. (1) Subject to subsection (2), where Schedule 2 data have been disclosed to a person pursuant to a requirement under section 6F(1), 7C or 7D, the Garda Commissioner, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, the Chairperson of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, as may be appropriate, shall, in accordance with regulations under this section, cause to be given to the person to whom the data relate a notice in writing informing him or her of the disclosure of the data concerned.
- (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), regulations under this section may provide for any one or more of the following:
- (a) the form of the notice to be given under subsection (1);
- (b) the information to be provided in that notice, including—
- (i) the date on which the Schedule 2 data were disclosed pursuant to the requirement concerned,
- (ii) the date on which the requirement was made, and
- (iii) the date of the authorisation under section 6A or 6B, the production order under section 7C or temporary production order under section 7D, in respect of the data;
- (c) the persons who shall be consulted before such a notice is given in accordance with this section;
- (d) the determination of the point in time and circumstances in which a notice should be given having regard to the overriding consideration that this section shall not operate to—
- (i) impede the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of any serious offence,
- (ii) undermine the security of the State, or
- (iii) endanger the life or personal safety of any person;
- (e) the classes of information that shall not be included in a notice under subsection (1) having regard to the overriding consideration referred to in paragraph (d);
- (f) the categories of persons (other than the person to whom the data relate) whose interests are materially affected by the disclosure of traffic and location data pursuant to a disclosure requirement.
- (3) This section shall not apply to Schedule 2 data that have been disclosed in compliance with a disclosure requirement made pursuant to—
- (a) an authorisation issued under section 6A(5),
- F67[(b) an authorisation issued under section 6B,]
- (c) a production order made under section 7C(3), or
- F67[(d) a temporary production order made under section 7D(3).]]
12H. F68[Service of documents
12H.— (1) A notice or other document that is required to be served on or given to a person under this Act shall be addressed to the person concerned by name and shall be so served on or given to the person—
- (a) by electronic means,
- (b) by delivering it to the person,
- (c) by leaving it at the address at which the person ordinarily resides or carries on business or, in a case in which an address for service has been furnished, at that address,
- (d) by sending it by post in a prepaid registered letter or by any other form of recorded delivery service to the address referred to in paragraph (c).
- (2) For the purposes of this section, a company within the meaning of the Companies Act 2014 is deemed to be ordinarily resident at its registered office, and every other body corporate and every unincorporated body of persons shall be deemed to be ordinarily resident at its principal office or place of business.]
12I. F69[Processing of personal data
12I. Personal data that are disclosed to a member of the Garda Síochána, a member of the Permanent Defence Forces, an officer of the Revenue Commissioners or an officer of the Competition and Consumer Protection F70[Commission], pursuant to a requirement under section 6(1), F71[…], 6F(1), 7C(11) or 7D(10) made for the purposes of the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of criminal offences, shall be processed in accordance with Part 5 of the Data Protection Act 2018.]
12J. F72[Provisions relating to authorising judge
12J. (1) The President of the District Court shall designate such and so many judges of the District Court to be authorising judges for the purposes of this Act.
- (2) An application to an authorising judge under F73[section] 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 7A, 7B, 7C or 7D may be made—
- (a) whether or not the service provider in respect of whom the authorisation is issued is resident or located in the District Court district to which the authorising judge stands assigned, and
- (b) whether or not the data to which the authorisation applies is retained by the service provider within the District Court district to which the authorising judge stands assigned.]
13. Repeal.
13.— (1) Part 7 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 is repealed.
- (2) Notwithstanding the repeal under subsection (1), data that were the subject of a data retention request under Part 7 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 before that repeal may be adduced in evidence in proceedings conducted after that repeal subject to the provisions of this Act applying and having effect.
F74[Transitional provision
13A.— Where, immediately before the date on which section 10 of the Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Act 2022 comes into operation, data is retained by a service provider pursuant to the service provider’s obligation under section 3 (before its amendment by section 3 of the Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Act 2022), the service provider shall, on and from that date, and for the purposes of compliance with disclosure requirements made pursuant to an authorisation under section 6A or 6B, continue to retain such data until the earlier of the following events:
- (a) the expiry of a period of 6 months beginning on that date, or
- (b) the making of the first order under section 3A.]
14. Short title.
14.— This Act may be cited as the Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011.
SCHEDULE 1 Offences Deemed to be Serious Offences
An offence under sections 11 and 12 of the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996.
An offence under section 6 of the Criminal Evidence Act 1992.
An offence under section 12 of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997.
An offence under section 1 of the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889 to 1995.
An offence under section 5 of the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998.
F75[6. An offence under Regulation 5 or 7 of the European Union (Market Abuse) Regulations 2016.]
SCHEDULE 2
PART 1 Fixed network telephony and mobile telephony data to be retained under section 3
Data necessary to trace and identify the source of a communication:
- (a) the calling telephone number;
- (b) the name and address of the subscriber or registered user.
Data necessary to identify the destination of a communication:
- (a) the number dialled (the telephone number called) and, in cases involving supplementary services such as call forwarding or call transfer, the number or numbers to which the call is routed;
- (b) the name and address of the subscriber or registered user.
Data necessary to identify the date and time of the start and end of a communication.
Data necessary to identify the type of communication:
the telephone service used.
Data necessary to identify users’ communications equipment or what purports to be their equipment:
- (a) the calling and called telephone number;
- (b) the International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI) of the called and calling parties (mobile telephony only);
- (c) the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the called and calling parties (mobile telephony only);
- (d) in the case of pre-paid anonymous services, the date and time of the initial activation of the service and the cell ID from which the service was activated (mobile telephony only).
Data necessary (mobile telephony only) to identify the location of mobile communication equipment:
- (a) the cell ID at the start of the communication;
- (b) data identifying the geographical location of cells by reference to their cell ID during the period for which communication data are retained.
PART 2 Internet access, Internet e-mail and Internet telephony data to be retained under section 3
Data necessary to trace and identify the source of a communication:
- (a) the user ID allocated;
- (b) the user ID and telephone number allocated to any communication entering the public telephone network;
- (c) the name and address of the subscriber or registered user to whom an Internet Protocol (IP) address, user ID or telephone number was allocated at the time of the communication.
Data necessary to identify the destination of a communication:
- (a) the user ID or telephone number of the intended recipient of an Internet telephony call;
- (b) the name and address of the subscriber or registered user and user ID of the intended recipient of the communication.
Data necessary to identify the date, time and duration of a communication:
- (a) the date and time of the log-in and log-off of the Internet access service, based on a certain time zone, together with the IP address, whether dynamic or static, allocated by the Internet access service provider to a communication, and the user ID of the subscriber or registered user;
- (b) the date and time of the log-in and log-off of the Internet e-mail service or Internet telephony service, based on a certain time zone.
Data necessary to identify the type of communication:
the Internet service used.
Data necessary to identify users’ communication equipment or what purports to be their equipment:
- (a) the calling telephone number for dial-up access;
- (b) the digital subscriber line (DSL) or other end point of the originator of the communication.
Footnotes
O.J. No. L 217, 05.08.1998, p.18
O.J. No. L 204, 21.07.1998, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
O.J. No. L201, 31.07.2003, p.37
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