Observance of right to private life (personal privacy) inviolability by pre-trial investigation agencies

Abstract

Article outlines the legal guarantees of personal privacy inviolability, reveals the content of the right to privacy and provides recommendationsfor pre-trial investigation agencies to conduct certain investigative (search) actions in penal institutions.The European Court of Human Rights refers all issues related to collection, storage, use and provision of access to informationabout person’s life to the sphere of private life. In its practice, the ECHR did not formulate a proper interpretation of the “private life”concept, but only noted the comprehensive nature of this term which does not have an exhaustive definition.Such principle of criminal process as non-interference in private life is reflected in Article 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code ofUkraine, which states that in the course of criminal proceedings non-interference in private (personal and family) life is guaranteed toeveryone.Information about a person’s private life obtained in accordance with the procedure provided for in the Criminal Procedure Codeof Ukraine may be used exclusively for the goals of criminal proceedings. Everyone with access to information about private life isobliged to prevent its disclosure.Authors emphasize that the pre-trial investigation agencies process information with restricted access while performing the tasksassigned in accordance with job descriptions. This may include official or confidential information along with sensitive data – in thesecases unjustified disclosure can lead to serious consequences.Sexuality is defined as one of the most important components of “private life” conceptual framework, which, as the EuropeanCourt of Human Rights has repeatedly emphasized, is the most intimate sphere of life. This domain includes issues related to homosexualrelationships, gender identity and sex life in general. In such cases, it is the protection of the human right to the development ofone’s personality that is crucial. Due to the natural intimacy of these issues it acquires a degree of protection against interference.Based on the analysis of the legal regulation of the crime scene examination in places of detention, authors concluded that thisprocedure is not clearly regulated, and it requires the investigator to properly prepare and comprehend the algorithm of one’s actions,use audio / video recorders and for the investigative action parties and established security in penal institutions for search and involvementof attesting witnesses, involvement of other investigative (search) actions parties, including the stage of crime scene examination.Information about person’s private life, obtained in the course of pre-trial investigation, even if this person is staying at the place ofdetention, must be duly protected from possible disclosure and access of third parties.The fact of interference with a person’s private life (personal privacy) is a violation of human dignity, personal independence andintegrity. Therefore, pre-trial investigation agencies should be able to clearly observe the balance between the interests of the individual,society and the state during criminal proceedings, and each procedural decision and action must be properly executed, as violation ofcriminal procedure entails the loss of not only evidence, but can also lead to negative consequences in connection with the disclosureof information about the private life of a person.In addition, the pre-trial investigation agencies do not have the right to seize the client-lawyer correspondence, personal medicaldocumentation, including sensitive data, during investigative (search) actions in places of temporary isolation (places of detention)without clearly defined judicial procedures, while investigators must inform the person in details about the aim and procedure of itsperformance.