Failure to reveal a computer password to the police.

Teenager Oliver Drage has been sentenced at Preston Crown Court ( where this firm has had cases in recent years) to four months imprisonment for refusing to reveal his 50 character encryption code to investigators. Oliver's computer was seized by the police after a PACE search of his address. He was not convicted of any other offence. The police have still not cracked the code and we at M23LAW reckon that there will be more prosecutions under the controversial Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. We have had cases in our local county forces when our clients have also declined access and have avoided prosecution after many months of being on police bail. Apart from cases involving children and downloading, we feel that the State will use these wide ranging powers in the areas of illegal file sharing and insider dealing. The sentence could have been up to five years if 'National Security' was at stake.