Illegal wiretaps cause for compensation

The Czech Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil has said he intends to introduce legislation that would allow Czechs whose phones have been illegally wiretapped by the police to claim compensation. Under a proposed amendment to the penal code, Mr Pospisil intends to make it obligatory for police to inform people whose phones were bugged within one year of the completion of the investigation in question. They would then have the right to file a compensation lawsuit if they thought the bugging was illegal. The draft legislation also tightens the rules under which wiretapping would be allowed. If passed, bugging would only be permitted if the information and proof the police need cannot be obtained in any other way.