Article 588 septies a Spanish Criminal Procedure Act: Remote search of computer devices

Article 588 septies a permits the remote and covert examination of the content of a computer or information system, including the installation of software for that purpose, only for the investigation of the offences exhaustively listed in the provision, and it sets out the content required of the authorising decision.

Wording of Article 588 septies a of the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act

1. The competent judge may authorise the use of identification data and codes, as well as the installation of software, permitting the remote and electronic examination, at a distance and without the knowledge of the owner or user, of the content of a computer, electronic device, information system, mass data storage instrument or database, provided that the purpose is the investigation of one of the following offences:

a) Offences committed within criminal organisations.

b) Terrorism offences.

c) Offences committed against minors or against persons whose capacity has been judicially modified.

d) Offences against the Constitution, of treason and relating to national defence.

e) Offences committed through computer instruments or through any other information or telecommunication technology or communication service.

2. The judicial decision authorising the search must specify:

a) The computers, electronic devices, information systems or parts thereof, computer data storage media or databases, data or other digital content which are the object of the measure.

b) The scope of the measure, the manner in which the access to and seizure of the data or computer files relevant to the case will be carried out, and the software by means of which the control of the information will be executed.

c) The officers authorised to execute the measure.

d) The authorisation, where appropriate, for the making and preservation of copies of the computer data.

e) The measures necessary for the preservation of the integrity of the stored data, as well as for the inaccessibility or deletion of those data from the information system to which access has been obtained.

3. Where the officers carrying out the remote search have reason to believe that the data sought are stored in another information system or in a part thereof, they shall bring that fact to the knowledge of the judge, who may authorise an extension of the terms of the search.

Working translation prepared by Société Juridique from the consolidated Spanish text published by the Official State Gazette. It has no official status: the only authoritative version is the Spanish original, available at the Official State Gazette and reproduced verbatim in our Spanish-language entry for this provision. Source: Royal Decree of 14 September 1882 approving the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act.

Effect. The provision imposes no penalty. A search carried out outside the catalogue of offences of paragraph 1, or without the content required by paragraph 2, entails the nullity of the material obtained under Article 11.1 of the Judiciary Act and the exclusion of the evidence derived from it.

Requirements and procedure

That the investigation relate to one of the five categories of offence exhaustively listed in paragraph 1.
A judicial decision specifying the devices, the scope, the manner of access, the software used and the officers authorised.
Express authorisation for the making and preservation of copies, where that is to be carried out.
Measures for the preservation of the integrity of the data and for their inaccessibility or deletion from the system accessed.

Defence strategy

The catalogue of offences as a limit. The remote search is available only for the offences of paragraph 1. Where the classification which justified the authorisation does not survive the investigation, the material obtained is not saved by the discovery of a different offence, and its exclusion must be sought.

Determinacy of the authorising decision. Paragraph 2 requires five specific items of content. The absence of the identification of the software used, or of the officers authorised, prevents any review of the execution and is habitually the most effective ground of challenge.

Extension of the search to other systems. Paragraph 3 requires a fresh judicial authorisation in order to extend the search. Access to systems not covered by the original decision, including cloud accounts and connected devices, lacks judicial cover.

Integrity and chain of custody. The remote installation of software permits the alteration of the system examined. Verifying the hash values, the log of operations and the chain of custody of the copies is the technical examination upon which the reliability of the material depends.

Are you under investigation or facing charges in Spain? Société Juridique acts for foreign nationals throughout Spain, with offices in Alicante and Madrid and a 24-hour custody line. +34 669 30 21 13 or enquire online.

This entry is provided for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The application of any provision depends on the circumstances of the individual case and requires examination of the case file by a qualified lawyer.

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